What Happened To Us?
by Haruka-Chan 212
Summary: Years have driven them apart... that and the unimaginable fear of being truly happy. But Michiru finds she just can't take it anymore. Will she be let back in? Meanwhile, Haruka's perfectly happy without Michiru around... Living day to day as if nothing happened. Or is it all just a mask? A mask that's so similar to Michiru's it's eerie.
1. Chapter 1

I've returned from the grave with a new Haruka/Michiru story. Don't expect this one to have really long chapters, but my dear friend Cloud van Dyk will "kick me in the butt" if I don't keep working on this, so expect updates regularly.

Rating: T for some language later on

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_**What Happened To Us?  
**__**Chapter 1**_

She was there for the wedding. She was there for the birth of their daughter. She was there to comfort her when her wife died. But it was all bittersweet. Every time she felt herself getting too close, she pushed away again. It was a constant repeat of her junior year of high school… of their junior year of high school.

To be honest with herself, she didn't understand why she put herself through such a torment. There would be weeks, or sometimes even months without them talking. Or in the most recent ordeal… two years. Then a feeling of loneliness would overcome her and she'd find herself right back in the same situation. But she's been fighting it off for two years now. Keeping herself occupied with non-stop work was doing nothing for her mental state.

"How's your newest film going Michiru?"

A voice interrupted her thoughts as she exited the studio in search of her car. It was something she'd grown used to over the past six years. Getting into acting wasn't something she completely thought through when she first started. Over the years, she thought she'd be able to move past her first love. To move past the only love she'd ever had. But, as time passed, she had never felt more alone. She was surrounded by people on a daily basis, people that she considered her friends. To Michiru, it felt as though she was screaming at the top of her lungs in a crowded room and nobody even turned their head.

"Are you dating anybody?"

It was another familiar question. One she couldn't answer. No matter how much she wanted to tell people she was, she couldn't lie. To say it wasn't in her nature to lie was, in fact, a lie. She lied every day of her life. According to her publicist, being 'gay' would hurt her career. It was bittersweet, just as everything else in Michiru's life had been. She had to hide, even though she didn't want to. She had to pretend to be something she wasn't just to keep her career going. A career that left her more alone than she had ever been before.

All the thoughts gave her chronic headaches. One of the many things in which she was prescribed medication for.

No… she wasn't an addict. No matter what the tabloids said about her. She wasn't addicted to pain kills, or anti-depressants, or anything else the paparazzi made up. Her headaches came from stress. Stress came from work. While working, she thought. She thought about being alone. And she was always alone, which caused her stress and gave her more time to think. It was a never ending circle.

Throwing on her famous smile she waved politely to the people bombarding her with questions. Her publicist, on many occasions, told her to never answer their questions because of the way everything was misconstrued. Shortly after her first film was released, Ichirou spent weeks curbing the rumors of Michiru 'announcing she was gay.' Michiru tried to stop him from doing so, because she didn't care. He only pushed the fact that it would hurt her. That if she wanted to make anything of herself in the movie business, she couldn't announce that she was gay.

Ichirou accepted it that she was, he even did his best to cover up any stories that surfaced of any flings Michiru went through. But he also pushed into her mind that in the public eye, it was wrong.

On many occasions, Michiru attempted to date men. Just to be 'normal.' She'd been out with several nice guys, but she never thought of them as anything more than a friend. Thankfully they'd all felt the same and never pushed her into anything.

Once she was safely tucked away in her car, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse to scan it for any new messages. There were three, all of which were from Ichirou, her publicist. She rarely had any messages from any of the people she thought of as 'friends.' Those only came when something was needed of her. She was used to it.

_Ichirou: Hey, need you to call me soon. Got a new prospect for you to look over._

_Ichirou: Know you're still on set, but calling me's important._

_Ichirou: Set you up an interview for next Friday. Call me back, I'll give you the details._

She'd call him later that evening. After she got home and finished her routine of unwinding. With one more wave to the people surrounding her she started the engine to her car and pulled out of her parking space. After unwinding and getting her food, her nightly routine usually involved a brief phone call to Ichirou.

Michiru was in a rut. And she had absolutely no idea how to fix it…

… or did she…

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**_So, what do you think?_**

**_Where do you think I'm going to go with this one? _**

**_Comments always welcome! :D _**

**_Glad to be back in my roots everybody, this is where I started, and I think this is where I truly belong._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment. Currently working on chapter 3 :D**_

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_**What Happened To Us?**_  
_**Chapter 2**_

"Mama, Michiru's on the TV again."

It was a familiar sight. Yuki absolutely loved Michiru, even though she hadn't seen the woman in nearly two years. The seven year old fell in love with the woman from the first moment she met her. The little girl followed everything there was to follow about the actress. And who was Haruka to stop her. She wanted her daughter to be happy, even if it meant her own heart was broken. She could never tell Yuki that though. It was better for Yuki to not know the truth of Haruka's past.

"I see that honey." Haruka sat down on the sofa beside the little girl. She always did this. Every time Michiru would appear on television, she'd be polite. She'd sit down with Yuki and watch the interview, or commercial, or movie with her… never once showing up much it hurt.

In a way, she was thankful that Michiru had vanished. It made it easier for her to focus on her own life and career. But seeing Michiru's ever beautiful smile on television made it hard. She missed Michiru. She missed her horribly.

_"What's the one thing you regret most in life Michiru?"_

_She smiled sadly before looking down at her lap. She knew what she regretted most, but had to gather her thoughts to be able to answer it properly. Her years in the business have helped her answer certain questions with a practiced perfection. "Honestly?" She smiled when she heard her interviewer laugh softly and encourage her. "I regret losing touch with the people that were once my close friends in high school."_

_"Is there anybody in particular you miss most?"_

_A slight blush came to Michiru's cheeks. There was only one person who came to mind. "I had a lot of close friends to be honest with you. But I suppose I miss Haruka the most." Why did she just announce that? She knew how these interviews went. They were always the same. _

_The man sitting across from her paused for a moment, obviously listening to something in his earpiece. "Haruka Tenou? The former Formula-1 driver?"_

_"That didn't take long did it?" She chuckled softly. "You had someone waiting to look up any name I spoke."_

_"Pretty much." He laughed._

_She shook her head gently before answering. "Yes, she was my best friend in school, and I think I regret losing contact with her the most."_

Haruka stood up from her place on the sofa. She couldn't listen to anymore. If Michiru missed her so much, she knew how to reach her. Her chest ached every time. Hearing Michiru say that she missed her, made it worse. Haruka often wondered if it was possible to die of a broken heart.

In the years just after high school, it was the hardest for her. She had never felt more alone. But she was able to push through it. Michiru and her had, in fact kept in touch. It helped a little bit. It showed her that Michiru didn't hate her. Michiru never hated her… she was scared.

It was mostly the reason they hadn't talked in two years.

_-Two Years Prior-_

_Michiru had been around almost every day. Kimi died in a car wreck on her way home from work. Haruka had been a wreck from the moment she heard the news. The only person she knew to call was Michiru… her once best friend. When the star heard of Haruka's plight, she felt complied to do anything she could to help her._

_The first few days consisted of Yuki and Haruka crying. Nothing was spoken out loud. Michiru would stay mostly all day long, she'd fix them meals, clean up after them, and offer her shoulder to cry on. As the weeks passed, the time spent alone with Haruka and Michiru got longer and longer._

_"I don't know how to function. She's been a part of my life for eight years Michiru…" Haruka stood at their shared closet, just staring at Kimi's side. She let out a shaky breath. She'd been tired of crying over the past few days. That day had been the worst though. It was Kimi's birthday. She would have been 30. She should have been 30._

_Michiru did what she always did. She never knew what to say. Instead of words she relied on actions. Without a sound, she stepped up behind Haruka and wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist tightly from behind. She rested her head securely between the taller woman's shoulder blades._

_A comfortable silence fell over the pair as they just savored one another's company. Haruka placed her hands on Michiru's forearms as she closed her eyes. It reminded her of their moments alone in high school. The only time Michiru would ever be affectionate with her is when they were in one of their bedrooms. "I missed this."_

_The feeling of Michiru tensing and starting to pull away told her she never should have opened her mouth. "You're hurting Haruka."_

_"That doesn't mean I can't miss my friend Michi."_

_"It sounded like you just missed our fling in high school."_

_"No Michiru, not everything I say is based on what we had in high school. And we both know it wasn't a fling." Haruka felt her anger start rising. She hated hearing Michiru's denial. Even after all the years to think about it. The star was in constant denial over it._

_The star sighed before taking more steps back. "It was high school Haruka. We didn't know what we wanted."_

_"Why can't you just admit you're gay."_

_"Because I'm not."_

_Michiru diverting her eyes told Haruka otherwise though. "You'll never change Michi. That's the sad thing. You won't change and you'll always be miserable. When I said I missed this, I meant spending time with you. I was able to move on. You're still stuck in your fear."_

_"I think I should go." She was never able to look at Haruka while she gathered her things. "Tell Yuki I said bye."_

_"… yea."_

And that was the last time she'd seen Michiru in two years. Haruka made her way to her closet and pulled out a box that she kept in the far corner, buried under everything. She rarely pulled the box out. It was full of memories. Photos, letters, souvenirs… everything from her past worth remembering. She sat on the edge of her bed and pulled the lid off of it.

Tears instantly started welling up in her eyes. The first thing she saw was a candid photo from her wedding. It was one of Kimi's favorites. The pair were dancing to a slow dance, loving smiles plastered on their faces as their foreheads rested together. Haruka remembered that moment. It was engraved in her mind.

They promised each other forever. But forever was cut short by a stupid teenager who had too much to drink at a party.

"Mama? Are you alright?"

Haruka tossed her daughter a sad smile before patting the bed beside her. "Come here honey." She waited for the girl to crawl onto the bed beside her.

"You missing mommy?"

"Yea, look." She handed the picture to her daughter. "It was at our wedding."

"Wish I could have seen it mama." She leaned in closer and started pulling some things out of the box. "Ew! What's that?"

Haruka tilted her head to the side. Laughter soon escaped her lungs when she saw the picture of herself and Kimi leaning against the passenger door of her old yellow convertible. "Don't say ew, that car was a classic."

"A classic big of ugly." The young girl didn't hesitate in responding.

"I got rid of it. Your mommy made me."

"Well mommy was smart."

A warm smile enveloped Haruka's lips as she was flooded with more memories of Kimi. "Yea, she was smart wasn't she?" The blonde sifted through some more pictures in the box before pulling out an older photo. The age was evident by the creases and slight tear in the top corner. "This was your mommy when she was your age… you look just like her."

Yuki carefully took the picture to examine it. Haruka was right. She was a spitting image of her mommy. When Kimi and Haruka decided to try for a child, they looked for donors with Haruka's characteristics… tall, blonde, athletic. But the moment Yuki was born, the only thing she ended up with from the donor, were teal eyes, everything else was Kimi. Her dark hair, her personality… everything matched her mommy perfectly.

Haruka scooted further back on the bed and nestled comfortably against her stack of pillows. Yuki instantly followed her mama and curled against her strong body. "What else is in here?"

"There's all kinds of things."

They spent the better part of an hour sifting through old letters and photos. Until Haruka opened up an envelope that was at the bottom and found another letter with a picture tucked safely in the middle of it. Her heart stopped though. It was the first letter Michiru had written to her once they made their relationship official… at least official to them. It was hidden from everybody else. To the public, they were just friends. It was easier.

"Mama?" Yuki reached out to wipe at her mother's eyes. She hated every time Haruka cried.

"I'm fine honey." She rested her hand against Yuki's and forced a smile. "Just remembering some things. I promise I'm fine." It was a lie. She wasn't fine. Her heart ached even more. She knew what she had with Michiru wasn't a fling. It was surely something more. If it wasn't, why did it hurt so much.

Haruka leaned back to look at the picture. It was a candid shot, as most of them were. Michiru's face was tucked away in the blonde's neck, her eyes were closed. She wasn't asleep though, she was lost in thought. They were lost in each other. From what Haruka remembered, she had her arm wrapped tightly around Michiru's waist, keeping her secure. It was one of the savored moments where Michiru allowed some affection around their closest of friends. Makoto was the one who took the picture of the two lost in their own world.

Everybody saw the attraction between them. Everybody except Michiru…

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**_Let me know what you think. What do you think will happen with Haruka and Michiru?_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here's chapter 3 for everybody :) Thank you for all the comments thus far. Hope they keep coming in. Chapters will probably get longer starting around chapter 5. Don't hold me to it though, but I'm seeing this one be fairly long.**_

_**Okay, literally went to post this and came right back into my Doc Manager to add this on my note. Why does fanfiction continue to change things? I'm so confused with everything on here anymore, I can't find anything I want to find. I miss the good old days (10 years ago) when everything was simple!**_

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_**What Happened To Us?**_  
_**Chapter 3**_

"Michiru, you're just not with it today. I told you how many times I needed happy. How hard is it for you to be happy!" The director yelled at the actress. It was the fifth time he was attempting to shoot the same scene. Michiru's character was supposed to be happy that she was being proposed to. But instead, according to him, she appeared to be grieving a lost puppy.

She sighed. He truly had no idea how hard it was for her to be happy. She may have been an actress, but that didn't mean she had to always wear her mask of joyful emotions. "I've just got a lot on my mind Hachi. Can I have a moment to compose myself?" Michiru didn't wait for a response. Instead, she stood from the chair she had been seated in and walked to the table with refreshments.

"Just try to focus on your dream proposal Michiru." Hachi sighed. Usually Michiru wasn't so hard to work with. He sympathized with the woman. He was aware of her tight schedule and knew she was balancing a lot. Hachi made his way over to the woman to speak softly to just her. "Whatever's on your mind, try to push it aside. Or even flip it around to feed off of it."

"What are you, my acting coach now?"

Hachi burst into laughter at Michiru's slightly condescending tone. "If you want me to be your acting coach than I will be. But you have to focus Michiru, I know you're on a strict schedule, but could you try to do one thing at a time."

If only it were that easy. The entire day she'd been lost in her own world. The interview the day before had her remembering her past. She had come a long way in the past two years. She'd finally come to accept that she was gay. She could never admit it out loud, but she knew that she was. She'd also come to accept that she missed Haruka. "I just needed a moment to clear my mind Hachi. I'll be fine now." She sipped from a fresh bottle of water as she made her way back to her chair.

"Do me a favor this time Michiru. Put yourself in the moment of your dream proposal. Picture Denji as your dream man whom you've loved for your entire life. And it's finally the moment he's asking to make you his wife."

Michiru tuned him out half way through. She was already in the middle of creating her perfect proposal. It didn't involve a man at all. Her mind only went to one person and one person only.

Haruka.

Once the scene started filming again, Michiru felt herself relax. Her eyes were opened as she stared into Denji's eyes. But she wasn't seeing his dark browns at all. No. In her mind she was staring into Haruka's bright teal eyes. She remembered having dreams while she was in high school of just this scenario. Haruka was on bended knee, asking for Michiru's hand in marrage.

It worked.

When Denji's character proposed to Michiru, she hesitated, just like she would in reality. Her breath caught in her throat as she nodded silently. A large smile overcame her face as she finally answered the question out loud with a yes. An overly ecstatic yes at that, but it was perfect for the scene. It was perfect for what Hachi wanted for the scene.

"Cut!" He yelled just when Michiru threw herself into Denji's arms. "That was perfect! Whatever you imagined worked."

Michiru's mind finally caught up with where she really was. She pulled the prop off of her ring finger, placed it on the table and quickly stood up. She felt tears filling her eyes. What she imagined was, in fact, her dream proposal. But it would never happen. It would never be able to happen. Haruka would never forgive her for all of her confusion.

Hachi saw the expression on Michiru's face. As a friend, he wanted to follow her. He'd known the woman for years. But, on the flip side, he did know the woman personally. Therefore he knew that whatever Michiru had fantasized about was extremely personal and she'd never share with him. "Let's go to lunch people!" He announced.

Michiru tossed him a thankful smile before exiting through the back door. She kept her eyes low to the ground, well aware of the paparazzi standing at the barrier taking pictures of her every move. If they saw her eyes, it would be a field day for the tabloids. They couldn't see her eyes. Pictures of herself crying was _not_ something she wanted to see plastered on various newsstands.

Safely behind the closed door of her trailer she pressed her forehead against the cool metal. Tears streaked her face as her mind flooded with every cherished moment of her time with Haruka. She thought back to the last time she was near the blonde. The last time she talked to her. The last time she touched her, she smelled her cologne. She remembered every single second of it.

She also remembered the way she snapped at the blonde. It didn't help that Haruka was already hurting. Michiru snapping at her no doubt made it worse. For months, she tore herself apart. She feared that she blew any chance of at least being Haruka's friend. She never made another attempt to contact her for fear of pure rejection. Ignoring her was easier than facing rejection.

At least at first it was easier. The more time that passed, the more her heart broke. Not only was Haruka her best friend, but… Michiru was finally able to admit it… Haruka was the love of her life.

She took several deep breaths to try to calm her nerves. But it didn't help. She wiped at her eyes before sitting on the small sofa. Sure, it was lunch time, but she knew she wouldn't be able to eat anything. She wasn't hungry. Hunger came and went for her as of late, but thankfully it didn't affect her weight any. She was able to blame her medicine for her loss of appetite, but the medication had nothing to do with it. It was her nerves.

Pulling a bottle of water from her mini fridge, she looked through her bottles. It was lunch time, lunch time meant anti-depressant. She dumped a single pill from the bottle onto the palm of her hand before shoving it into her mouth. The pills helped her make it through her day. They did help her deal with her loneliness and most of her depression.

The only person other than Ichirou who knew what she was dealing with was her doctor. And her doctor had signed several non-disclosure waivers, on top of confidentiality laws, Michiru knew she was safe. It was bad enough that the tabloids fabricated stories of her medicine, but they'd never been proven or disproven. Michiru knew the truth though. She _was _taking several different medications, but she wasn't addicted to any of them. So she was safe. The public didn't believe the papers without any proof.

She paused for several moments before putting the lid back on the bottle. It was just a brief thought. But it was still a thought she had every day before her medicine. Something she couldn't deal with on her own. The thought of taking them all always crossed her mind. She could never go through with it. It was the cowards way out, that's how she always looked at it. Michiru Kaiou was no coward.

She was the furthest thing from a coward. A soft smile came to her face as she pulled her phone out of her purse. Michiru knew what she had to do. It would finally put all of her questioning thoughts to rest.

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**_So...what do you think? What do you think is going to happen between Haruka and Michiru? I love reading everybody's thoughts on things as a story progresses._**

**_Keep an eye out for the next chapter :D_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_This chapter isn't that long. Wanted it to be longer, but still, it's a chapter. Cloud van Dyk will kick my butt for not letting her read the whole chapter before posting it, but I wanted to get this posted for everybody.  
_**

**_Starting next chapter they'll be longer. You'll understand why at the end.  
_**

**_Enjoy :D_**

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**_What Happened To Us?_**  
**_ Chapter 4_**

"Dude, I didn't know you knew Michiru! Why didn't you say something?"

"Didn't think it was important." Haruka mumbled as she entered her office. The woman never realized her assistant was obsessed with Michiru until that morning when she arrived at her office building. From the moment she walked through the front door, he'd been glued to her side.

"It is amazing. Of course it's important!" He continued to press. Never once did he take note of the manager's distant expression. "Could you hook me up?"

Haruka exhaled heavily through her nose. After seeing the interview two days ago, she did everything she could to not think of her once dear friend. "No."

He just didn't get it though. Her tone was harsh and biting, but he just ignored it. "Why not? She dating someone?"

"I don't know." The blonde sat at her desk and began to look through some sponsor contracts for her driving team. She really just wished he would get out of her office.

"What do you mean you don't know? Don't you talk to her anymore? Come on Haruka, help a guy out here." He leaned against her desk. "You've got to tell me."

"You must have missed the part of her interview where she said we haven't talked in years." Haruka let out a heavy sigh. Genji had finally plucked her last nerve. "Don't you have some things to be doing?"

He met her eyes for a moment, but still failed to see the anger behind them. "Not for a while. I can keep you company. I want to learn all the behind the scenes Michiru Kaiou information."

If she were to really start talking about the actress, she was sure that Genji would hate her. There were things that Haruka knew that not even Michiru knew. It was something the blonde had always been good at… reading people. She saw things in people that they never noticed about themselves. But… to save her assistant's obsession with the actress, she decided to spare him the details. "There's nothing to tell."

"Why not?"

That was it for her. "Just leave Genji. There's nothing to tell. Even if there was, I wouldn't tell you. Get out of my office."

His eyes shot open. It was rare for Haruka to snap at him, or anybody for that matter. "Did something happen?"

She ignored his question. It was safest. If she didn't ignore him, his constant questions would irritate her enough to the point where she'd fire him. Usually she was able to keep her emotions in check. Over the past few days it seemed like everything had gotten under her skin. Yuki even avoided her. The girl had learned previously to avoid her mama during times like this. If only Haruka's staff could figure out to avoid her too, then everything would be alright.

It was all because of Michiru. The woman who once broke her heart, now continues to be the bane of her existence. She couldn't escape. Everywhere she looked, Michiru. Every conversation she had, Michiru. She was everywhere.

"I thought I told you to leave Genji!" She snapped louder at him. The volume of her voice drew the attention of a few nearby employees. They were just as shocked as Genji was to hear Haruka's anger.

At least he finally got the hint and left her office. Haruka's eyes remained locked with him until the door was closed. She hated having to yell at him, but he wasn't getting the hint. Genji had been a close friend of Haruka's ever since she'd signed her racing contract. She'd only ever lost her temper with him once before, and that was when he made a derogatory comment about Kimi while she was pregnant.

It was the one and only thing she hated about Genji. His inability to keep his mouth shut. Most of the time it was funny. It would bring a smile to Haruka even on her darkest of days. But on that rare occasion when it did irritate her, he never noticed. He never noticed how much she was hurting from every mention of Michiru.

Haruka did as she did best whenever her mind was tormenting her. She threw herself into her work. Thankfully, she had a stack of sponsor contracts to sort through for her drivers. It would keep her occupied at least until lunch.

Nobody dared speak to Haruka when she emerged from her office. They didn't want her to lose her temper on them the way she did with Genji that morning. But what they didn't know, was that Haruka was able to clear her mind during the first half of her day. Keeping busy helped her forget about Genji's antics that morning.

"Hello." She smiled politely at the security guard as she had him check her bag.

He cautiously returned her smile. He'd heard of her snapping that morning and wasn't sure what to say. "Heading out for lunch?"

"Yea, going to see Yuki. Want to take her something special for lunch."

"You should bring her in to say hi sometime. We all miss her here."

Haruka grabbed her bag once he finished searching it. "I'll be sure to do that. See you when I get back." She slung her bag over her shoulder before walking through the front door. It wasn't often when she decided to leave the building for lunch. Usually she brought it with her, or just purchased something from the café that was a floor down from her office.

Once she was inside of her car she pulled her phone from her bag. She hadn't looked at it all day and as expected, she saw several business related messages. Then, when she reached the newest of her messages, her heart stopped. She physically felt her heart stop beating as she stared at the message that was received only a few minutes prior.

_Can we talk?_

It had been so long that she no longer had her phone number saved in her phone. But those simple words told her everything. It wasn't just a random text message from someone she didn't know. No. It was Michiru. And Haruka had no idea whether or not she should respond to it.

Why would Michiru suddenly attempt to contact her after so long? What would possess her to do such a thing? Haruka didn't know and honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

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**_What do you think will happen? Will Haruka give Michiru a chance and actually talk to her?  
_**

**_Stick around for the next chapter to find out :D  
_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Just as promised, this chapter's a bit longer than the others. :) Enjoy. I'm currently working some on chapter 6. No guarantee on when it's going to come out though. Hope I can stay with it._**

**_All of the italic are text messages back and forth, it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out though :)  
_**

**_Enjoy!  
_**

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**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 5_**

Yuki was in bed. She had been for well over an hour. The girl couldn't know what her mama was doing. Or more like, about to do.

Haruka had spent the better part of her day making a decision. A decision that could potentially change how her and Yuki would live their lives. Michiru hadn't been around for two years and Yuki still loved her. The blonde wondered how her daughter would react to knowing that she was, in fact, talking with Michiru again.

_Yea, we can talk_

Haruka wasn't sure if Michiru would even answer. She had a feeling the star was busy with all of her movie friends. Just the thought of Michiru living the high life made her stomach turn. It was that 'high life' that drove Michiru away from her in the first place. She remembered each and every time Michiru would remind her of her career. Michiru's career meant everything to her. And that she'd do anything to make sure it wasn't ruined… including being unhappy.

Haruka was slightly shocked when her phone started to vibrate with a new message. Well, not slightly shocked, she was highly shocked that Michiru was able to take time out of her busy schedule to talk to a peon like her.

_How have you been?_

It was a simple question that truly meant a lot. Haruka decided to be honest with her answer. It was the nice thing to do.

_I've been busy with new contracts and sponsors_

She honestly had no idea how the conversation would go. What would Michiru say to her after all this time? What could she even say to make up for all of the lost time? It didn't take long to receive a new message from Michiru.

_Glad to hear you've been keeping yourself busy… I miss you_

Haruka found herself staring at the message. Yes, it was a short message, but what exactly did it mean? She was torn now. Michiru said she missed her. But if Michiru missed her, why wait so long to make any type of contact. With the way things were left after their last encounter, it was all on Michiru to make the decision to talk again. Why wait two years to tell her she missed her.

The blonde's thumb hovered over the 'reply' button on her phone's screen. She wanted desperately to tell Michiru how much she missed her too. But doing so would only push the star away. It always had. Why would now, two years later, be any different.

_After two years you finally decide you miss me?_

Her eyes closed as she leaned back against her pillows. In her right hand she tightly gripped her phone, her left arm was draped across her forehead. She never expected her day to end with a conversation with Michiru. Sure, the first few weeks, even months after their falling out had been hard. There were several times when Haruka would simply stare at Michiru's contact info on her phone's screen, debating on whether or not to hit that 'call' button. But she never did. She was able to push through that. She knew she gave Michiru the satisfaction of winning. But, here she was again, talking to a woman who treated her heart like a yoyo for so many years. Michiru was back, and so where all of the feelings Haruka had for the woman.

When the tell-tale sign of her phone vibrating pulled her out of her thought pattern, she nearly dreaded looking at the screen. Michiru could be just as snide as Haruka could with her comments. Thankfully though, that wasn't the case.

_I've missed you all along, Yuki too_

A fluttering feeling took over her chest. It was truly an odd combination of feelings that coursed through Haruka at the sight of that message. She was outraged over the fact that Michiru had waited so long to tell her. But she was also happy because of what Michiru was telling her. Her mind told her to just ignore Michiru… to pretend like she never existed. But her heart… her heart was still caught up on Michiru and everything that could have been.

_Yea… but two years Michiru? Why?_

The response was almost instant. Haruka briefly mused that Michiru had some kind of telekinetic ability to know exactly what she was going to say. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts before looking at her screen.

_Fear… my career… it felt as though everything was stacked against me_

And there it was. Haruka instantly started fuming at the mention of Michiru's career. That's all it ever was. The career meant more to that woman than anything else. Even love. Two years ago Michiru was a miserable shell of a human being. The only person to see it and point it out was Haruka. Not even Michiru saw it. Either she just didn't see it, or she chose to ignore it.

_Your career. The most important thing in your life. Why are you telling me NOW that you miss me?_

She hated every time she got angry with Michiru. But sometimes it was just needed to get the naïve woman to get past her own confusion.

_I've been thinking a lot and just couldn't take it anymore_

Haruka grumbled to herself. Her thoughts went right back to the fact that it took Michiru two very long years to make her decision.

_Seems like you're just motivated by your interview_

She didn't want to bring it up. But truthfully, she felt that Michiru contacting her was sparked by dealing with that question of who she missed the most. If Michiru really did miss her, why couldn't she make the attempt on her own.

_You saw that?_

A soft laugh escaped Haruka's lungs before she replied. At this point, she wasn't exactly sure what her motivation was for even continuing the conversation.

_Yea, Yuki was watching it and made me watch it with her. As she does with all of your stuff. Why she still loves you is beyond me. Don't you think this has been hard on me too Michiru?_

Haruka once again closed her eyes. She knew she should be sleeping, much like Yuki was. She had an early meeting at her office the next day and still had paperwork to prepare for it. But something about the fact that she was talking to Michiru outside of her dreams, kept her awake… it kept her going.

Just as she felt herself start to drift off, the vibration in her hand pulled her from her impending sleep.

_I'm not saying it wasn't hard on you too. I know how attached you were to who I was…_

Attached? Michiru's text made Haruka feel like a lost puppy who followed its owner everywhere. No, she wasn't attached. She was in love, there was a huge difference. Reading the message for a third time, she tried to figure out what exactly the star meant by 'who I was.' Was Michiru trying to tell her she's changed. Well, if she had, she picked a horrible way of wording it.

_I wasn't attached, I was in love. There's a huge difference_

She feared what kind of response she would get. Every time their past relationship was brought up, Michiru would back away… sometimes not even respond at all. After ten minutes of waiting for a response, Haruka figured that she wasn't going to receive one. She proceeded to set her alarm for the next morning and plug her phone in on the end stand beside her bed.

Something inside of her told her that their conversation really wouldn't last that long. They never did. If Michiru continued to talk to her, then it would be a day or two before she would even message her. There would be no mention of how the previous conversation had ended.

Haruka stripped herself of her t-shirt before crawling under her blankets in shorts and her tank top.

She was already asleep before her phone lit up with a new text message.

* * *

"Yuki! Hurry up, the bus will be here soon!" Haruka yelled up the steps after placing a bowl of cereal on the table.

"Coming mama!" Yuki yelled as she hurried down the steps. "I have a big test today in math." She proceeded to tell the older woman as she sat at the table.

Haruka smiled at the girl as she unfolded the paper to read through it. "You got your mom's math smarts, so I know you'll do just fine."

Yuki smiled at her mama. Every time Kimi was brought up, it was only happy memories. Nothing lengthy was ever said. It was easier that way. Dealing with her loss was easier in small portions. "Were you good in math?"

Haruka's laughter filled the room at the simple question. "No." Was all she had to say for Yuki to read between the lines and start laughing with her mama. "I was horrible."

"But you're good at other stuff though."

"Sure am. Now hurry up and eat before the bus gets here." Haruka refilled her coffee cup before retaking her seat at the table across from her daughter. Every once in a while she'd glance around the paper at the beautiful young girl that was her family. Her only family. Haruka was determined that the only person she ever needed in her life was Yuki.

Everybody else came and went like the wind. Nobody ever stuck around for very long. Yuki was her only constant. Kimi was too, until she left. At least Kimi wasn't by choice. Everybody else moved on to bigger and better things in their own lives.

"Mama, I'm leaving."

A small hand waving in front of her face drew her from her thoughts. She'd been so lost in her own mind she didn't even notice Yuki clean her bowl, get her shoes on and grab her backpack. Now, the girl was about to walk out of their home to catch her bus which was waiting on her.

"Alright honey, I love you." She pulled the girl in for a hug and gave her a quick kiss.

"Love you too mama." She waved as she ran from the kitchen.

Haruka shook her head. No matter how many times she tried to tell Yuki not to run, the girl never listened. She definitely got her sense of defiance from Haruka.

She glanced up at the clock and sighed. It was time to leave for work. It was a routine. Get Yuki off to the bus, and follow right behind her. After folding the paper back up and placing it on the table, she finished the rest of her coffee and rinsed her cup. Haruka ran her fingers through her hair as she made her way into her bedroom to grab her phone as well as her jacket.

When she unplugged her phone she watched the screen light up. It was rare to have a missed call, or any messages that early in the morning. But out of habit, she always looked. That morning was one of her rare occasions.

Haruka had nearly forgotten about her conversation with Michiru the night before until she looked at the message.

_I've always been in love with you. I've just been too afraid to actually admit it… until now_

She stopped dead in her tracks after reading the message. Michiru was in love with her. She always had been. The message was sent nearly an hour after Haruka had sent her last one. Nearly an hour after Haruka fell asleep.

Without thinking, she tapped the reply button on her screen and began typing out her own message. If Michiru meant what she said… No, Haruka didn't even want to think about that.

Instead, she just grabbed her bag, slipped on her shoes and went out to the garage to leave.

* * *

_**You'll have to wait until next chapter to know how Haruka responded to the message.  
**_

_**Leave a comment, let me know what you think :D  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Quick little update. You guys didn't have to wait that long from the last chapter to this one. Gonna go work on Chapter 7 some since I'm in such a great mood right now :D Got myself a new job with better hours and pay, so life is looking up (for once) SO, since I'm in this great of a mood, why not continue writing something that I know people love :D_**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 6_**

_Words mean nothing to me Michiru… prove it_

"Michiru, get off your damn phone already. We've got a scene to shoot!" Hachi yelled at her from his own seat. "What's with you today? You're stuck in your own world. We've got a movie to shoot here."

She sighed before putting her phone away. Sadly, she wasn't able to respond to Haruka's text message before Hachi lost his temper with her. "I'm coming." Michiru let out a heavy breath as she stood up to make her way on set. She regretted waiting so long to get the courage to tell her once dear friend that she missed her. Telling Haruka how she felt was something that took a lot of courage to do. She'd only recently been able to openly admit her feelings to herself. So telling another person was a huge accomplishment for her.

"Michiru!" Hachi yelled, moments before throwing his clipboard on the floor. Focus! You missed your line dammit."

The star sighed. What she was feeling was a haze. Honestly, she didn't even remember stepping onto the set. Or starting the scene… or Denji even talking. How was she supposed to hit her cut if she wasn't even aware of what was going on around her?

"I'm sorry." It was all she knew to say. It had been a long time since she was so lost in her own head she couldn't work.

"What is with you? You're never like this." Hachi lowered his voice some as he approached the obviously distraught woman.

She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted… no, needed to tell someone what was going on in her mind. But nobody would listen. She knew that nobody would listen, let alone care what demons tormented her on a daily basis. "I'm fine." She spoke automatically. To the rest of the world, she had to be fine. She couldn't show any of her hurt. Hurt was a sign of weakness. Being in her position, the media fed on all signs of weakness.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and took a deep breath. He didn't exactly believe her, but he also knew he couldn't force her to talk to him. "Alright…" He made his way back to his seat. "Let's try this again everybody."

* * *

Genji smirked when Haruka turned the corner toward her office. "How was your meeting?"

She glared at him. He knew how much she hated her meetings. "How do you think it went?"

He laughed softly before stepping up to her side. "I know something that you don't."

"Why don't you tell me, so I know too." Haruka continued to glare at him. She hated when he got in moods like that.

"You'll find out when you walk into your office. It got here about 30 minutes ago."

She shook her head at him before unlocking her office door and entering it. She didn't allow her assistant to enter behind her. After all of her meetings she always ended up with stacks of paperwork to fill out and file. The last thing she needed was to listen to his comments while she tried to work. She saw what Genji was talking about the minute she looked at her desk.

Sitting on the center of the wooden desk was a bouquet of roses. Blue roses at that. In the center was a single yellow rose. Sticking up from the roses, was a folded note.

_Haruka,_

_You told me that words mean nothing to you. And I agree, words are just that, words. But actions have always spoken louder than words. Here's my first action. I'm hoping for a new beginning in an otherwise impossible situation. That's why there is a single yellow rose, surrounded by the blue. _

_I know I have an uphill battle, but I'm willing Haruka. I miss you and everything we once had. Perhaps we can start over again. But I'll understand if you chose not to, especially after all that I've done to you._

_Love,_

_Michiru_

Haruka slowly sat down in her chair, her eyes never once leaving the note. Over and over again she read the words that were elegantly written on the paper. Michiru's writing hadn't changed any over the years. It was still curved and as perfect as it was in high school. Michiru was making an effort. But how long would it last? Would it just be another 'fling' as it was in Michiru's eyes? Would she just stick with her until she got bored again? Haruka didn't know. She was afraid to find out, but her curiosity was getting the best of her.

She couldn't live the rest of her life wondering 'what if.' She was following her heart. Her heart told her to give Michiru a chance. With the note still in her hand she pulled out her phone to dial a very familiar number.

_"Hey Haruka. Aren't you at work?"_

The blonde chuckled softly at her friend's answer. "Doesn't mean I can't call you."

_"Okay, so what's up?"_ The phone went silent for a second before being filled with the sound of Makoto yelling at one of her chefs. _"Sorry… he was about to set my restaurant on fire." _There was some more shuffling before she spoke again. _"I'm going to my office, it's too loud back here."_

"I just had a favor to ask of you and Ami…"

_"Anything, what's up?"_

"Would you be able to take Yuki for the night on Friday…" Haruka knew she should find out for certain first, but she figured that if Michiru was serious about starting new, she'd find some way to rearrange her schedule to make it work.

Haruka could almost hear the smile forming on Makoto's face, even before she spoke. _"Of course we can. Do you have a date or something? Please tell me you finally have a date!"_

"No… not really. I just don't want her to be around that night…"

_"Why? Come on Haruka, we've been friends for years, you can tell me."_

She let out a heavy sigh. There was no way she'd be able to get out of telling her and she knew it. "Michiru contacted me…"

_"Oh…"_ It was all Makoto said. She knew the entire history between the couple. Throughout everything she'd been on Haruka's side. She'd been there through the anger, and even through the tears at how heartbroken Haruka had been by the entire ordeal. _"Are you sure about this?"_

"Honestly… no. But I can't live my whole life wondering about this Makoto. That's why I don't want Yuki to know, just in case this doesn't work out and it ends up like all the other times."

_"It always ends up the same Haruka. She's nothing but a scared little girl. Always has been, and I'm sure she always will be. But you already know my feelings on her."_

"I told her that words mean nothing… she has to prove herself."

_"Why are you so forgiving to her? I just don't get it."_

"I don't know either. There's still something inside of me that loves her. I just… I need to do this. People do change Makoto."

_"I get that people change. I do wish you the best." _There was a loud crash in the background. _"I have to go, I think they're trying to blow this place up."_

Haruka laughed softly. "Thanks again Makoto. I'll call you before Friday to set up times and whatnot."

_"No problem. Bye Haruka."_ She quickly hung up the phone.

What exactly was she doing? She didn't even know. She was nearly 32 years old and still felt to herself that she was trapped in a silly high school romance. A push and pull relationship that never ended. She was following her heart, completely ignoring her head.

_Come to my house Friday at 9. For dinner and to talk._

Not giving Michiru any options helps to push her in the direction Haruka wanted her to go. There was no option for Michiru. If she wanted anything to work out between them, than she had to make the extra effort.

_Thank you for the flowers…_

She sent out one more message before putting her phone on the desk. She may be somewhat spiteful toward Michiru, but she wasn't a complete savage. She did appreciate the gesture, and the note did make her smile softly.

Perhaps Michiru wasn't a complete lost cause anymore.

* * *

**_I'm thinking the next chapter I'll skip a little bit and go right to their dinner and conversation. Unless you guys want to see something else in the middle?  
_**

**_Trust me, this isn't going to be one of those "I missed you" "I missed you too" and bam they're back together stories. No, Michiru's got to work for this one. And there will be several speed bumps in the road as well.  
_**

**_Real quick too, I'm working on a website, a personal website that will have my stories posted on it. It's a slow going thing, but I want it to eventually get to the point where I can post progress to chapters over there before posting the entire chapter here. That way people know I'm actually working on the stuff.  
_**

**_The address of my site is in my profile here, just take the spaces out, I know is a bit weird with links on the profiles, or anywhere for that matter.  
_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_I know it's not that long of a chapter. The next chapter will be longer I'm almost certain of it. 8 should also be up sometime Tuesday or possibly Wednesday evening. I'm nervous about starting my new job on Wednesday so wish me luck :D_**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 7_**

"Thanks again for watching Yuki tonight." Haruka peaked around the corner to watch her daughter set up a video game with Makoto. It was a bit of a past time for them.

"She knows you've got a dinner tonight." Ami checked, causing Haruka to nod. "Mako told me its Michiru…" Haruka's sharp intake of breath was all she needed to continue. "I promise not to tell Yuki about it."

"Thank you." She pulled the shorter woman in for a hug.

"I don't feel the same way as Mako does." Ami frowned when she felt Haruka tense some under her touch. "I believe in true love… what you two had all those years ago was special. Maybe she's finally seeing it."

"I'm not holding my breath though." Haruka finally pulled away. "I better say bye to them before they get lost in that damn game."

Ami laughed. "You know it takes them five minutes. I'll have a hell of a time pulling them away for dinner."

"This is how you do it Ami." Without hesitation, Haruka walked out into the living room and stepped right in front of the television, effectively blocking their gameplay

"Mama! You made me die!" Yuki yelled out before throwing her hands up, the controller hitting the carpeted floor in the process.

The blonde simply raised an eyebrow in response. "And you wonder why I don't let you play these games at home. You're lucky I let you play them here." She threw Makoto a look, daring her to say something.

"Sorry." The girl instantly apologized, feeling bad for yelling at her mother.

"That's what I thought. I'm getting ready to leave." She accepted the hug her daughter gave her. "You be good for Makoto and Ami alright?"

"She always is." Makoto stood up to bid farewell to her friend.

"I promise mama. Have fun at your dinner." Yuki leaned up to kiss the blonde's cheek.

"Good luck…" Makoto spoke softly to her friend once Yuki was back on the sofa. "If she stands you up, let me know and I'll kick her ass."

"Will do…" Haruka laughed softly. "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

The entire drive to Haruka's house was nerve wracking. Her hands shook. Her heart pounded. Hell, she'd even considered turning around a few times. If she did though, all chances to rekindle anything with Haruka would be lost forever.

Even after two years, the pathway to Haruka's home was still engraved in her mind. She was close to a heart attack. Especially when she pulled into the driveway. At first she wasn't even sure if it was the right house. In the driveway sat a brand new BMW. It wasn't the same SUV that was there during her last visit. But things change over time, everything changes over time.

Michiru killed her engine and took a deep breath. She was really nervous. She'd never been so nervous before, not even during awards acceptance speeches. She grabbed the bottle of wine she brought as well as her purse before climbing out of her car.

The walk to the front door felt like the longest of her life. Almost like a death sentence. She had no idea how the night would turn out.

A few knocks and her nerves were about to get worse. After knocking a few times on the front door, she stepped back and proceeded to flatten out her skirt and make sure her shirt was perfect. It was a nervous habit for her as it was for nearly everybody.

Her breath caught in her throat when the door opened to reveal Haruka. Not much had changed since the last time she saw her. The only noticeable difference was the fact that her hair was a bit shorter.

"Hello Michiru." The tone of voice was undetectable. Michiru couldn't tell what the blonde was feeling based on her tone. And that scared her more than even being face to face with her scared her.

"Hello Haruka. You look nice." She smiled shyly before fully taking in the blonde's appearance. She took note of the solid black button down shirt that was partially unbuttoned to reveal a dark blue t-shirt. Both of which were tucked into a pair of light colored khaki's. It was simply, yet to Michiru, it was perfect.

"Here… come in." She stepped aside to allow the shorter woman entrance to her house. "I'm sure you remember where everything is." Her cold tone surprised even her as she shut the door behind her. Haruka took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

The simple motion of Michiru walking by her sent a chill down Haruka's spine. It was the same. Even two years later, the star's scent was distinctly the same. A perfect mixture of ocean breeze and lavender. It was an odd combination that only Michiru could seem to pull off.

"Your house is still lovely Haruka." Michiru dared to speak. She'd already picked up the resentful tone in her once lover's voice… and hated it. Haruka's resentfulness was sparked by her. She was the reason for all of it.

"Thank you…"

The shorter woman stopped at a picture of Haruka with Yuki and smiled softly. The young girl looked like she was holding a trophy of some sort. "How's Yuki doing?"

Haruka took a brief glance at the picture Michiru was looking at before speaking. "She's good. Just won her spelling bee." She couldn't fight off the proud smile that overtook her face at her daughter's achievement.

"She's a very smart little girl." Michiru glanced over her shoulder at the taller blonde who still stood near the doorway to the dining room.

"She got it from her mom." Haruka spoke matter of factly to the other woman.

Michiru only nodded her head. Talking about Kimi was something that Haruka rarely did, Michiru didn't know that though. But thankfully, she didn't push the topic. "Where's she at tonight?"

Haruka's eyes narrowed. The woman in front of her hasn't been around for years and now she acted as if she cared about her and her little girl. "At a friend's." The blonde frowned some. Honestly, she hoped Michiru would just drop it. If the conversation came up later, she'd probably tell her where she was, but for now, she left it. "Dinner's ready…" She spoke again before retreating into the dining room where two plates were already set out for them.

The star sighed. Somewhere in her mind she was regretting even sending that first text message earlier in the week. It was going to be a very long evening.

* * *

**_I know I'm kind of evil for ending it here. But I felt I had to. I wanted to end it after "Hello Haruka, you look nice" but decided to give you guys a little bit more to read lol. More conversation between these two in the next chapter.  
_**

**_Stay tuned!  
_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Little bit longer than the last chapter... but not much. Please enjoy :D I've got a week of peace and quiet, so hopefully I can get more writing done and quick. :D_**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 8_**

Dinner was eaten in silence, the only sound coming from the occasional clank of a utensil on a plate. Both glasses of wine were finished in an equal way. Quiet. Neither wanted to share the first words. Neither knew how to start the conversation. Especially when their last meeting ended so abruptly.

Once the plates were cleared from the table and placed in the dishwasher, it was Haruka that finally had enough of the silence and spoke first. "Why are you here?"

"For dinner…"

"That's not what I meant and you know it Michiru."

The aqua haired woman sighed. Everything had to come out. The years of mental torture. All of the breakdowns… the truth. Michiru had to speak the truth. It was the only way she'd ever truly get another chance with Haruka. She just hoped that Haruka would believe her. "I missed you." The words were so soft that the blonde barely even heard them.

"I don't understand why though. You always told me… with the help of that manager… that I corrupted your thoughts."

Michiru visibly winced at the words. Sadly, Haruka wasn't lying. She had told the blonde earlier in her career that she felt corrupted. That she felt as though she couldn't make her own decisions. "That was all a mistake Haruka."

"What changed then?"

Michiru's eyes became trained on the floor near the taller woman's feet. She couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye knowing that she was most likely didn't believe a word she was saying. 'The truth Michiru.' She told herself several times before speaking. "I'm finally facing the truth. I've been fighting it for too long… I'm tired Haruka."

"Facing what truth Michiru? I need to actually hear you say it." The blonde folded her arms over her chest before leaning against the doorframe. Keeping a safe distance was best. The walls what she'd built up around Michiru's portion of her heart had to stay intact. They couldn't crumble like the Berlin Wall on just their first encounter. Hell, she didn't even know yet if there would be another encounter.

A wave of fear washed over her. She knew instantly what Haruka wanted her to say. But, it was something she'd yet to be able to say out loud. She'd accepted it, yes. Admitting it though was something totally different.

"See, you can't even say it Michiru. How am I supposed to believe you if you can't even admit that you're gay." Haruka was starting to lose her patience. She was beginning to feel as though this entire dinner had been a waste of her time.

Her eyes remained focused on the floor, "I am."

"You are? What are you?" Haruka knew she was being a bit harsh with her once dear love. But, based on everything she knew about the woman, she needed a bit of tough love to speak what she truly felt.

"I'm gay." She all but whispered. It felt like all of the air had been knocked out of her lungs at the admission. She never expected the very first time admitting it would have such an effect on her.

Haruka's eyes and features softened. The woman before her started shaking. Michiru was close to crying. "Hey now… you should know I'd never judge you, especially for being gay." She felt a tug on her heart. It was a tug to console… to comfort the distraught woman. She couldn't though, she had to remain guarded.

Michiru took several calming breaths before lifting her eyes to meet Haruka's That was a mistake. All she wanted to do then was throw herself into Haruka's arms to seek a security she longed for. A security she hasn't felt since all those nights snuggled in the blondes arms in high school.

"That's the first time I've ever said it out loud…"

A small smile dared to escape onto Haruka's face. "I could tell."

With the confession out of the way, Michiru suddenly felt like she could spill everything. The flood gates had finally been opened. "I don't think I ever stopped loving you. I tried… because I thought it wasn't right…" she trailed off. It was true. But the truth was hard to speak.

"Why did you continue to insist that high school was a fling then?" Haruka finally resumed her seat that was closest to Michiru. The one she'd occupied during their meal earlier.

It was a really straight forward answer, at least Michiru thought it was. "I was terrified of what I was feeling for you Haruka. I constantly thought about how society would react to me… to us."

Haruka's eyes remained trained on Michiru, taking in her body language. Based on everything she'd seen thus far, everything pointed to the truth. She always did have a knack for knowing when someone was lying. Especially someone such as Michiru. "Are you still scared?"

"Yes." Michiru continued talking, she sensed that the blonde was about to cut her off before she could finish. "But I'm not as scared of that, as I am of the loneliness I've been feeling. There's nothing but emptiness in my heart…" A silent tear slid down her cheek. She was shocked when a familiar warm hand swiped along the skin under her eye. It took everything she had not to lean into Haruka's hand.

The feel of Michiru's skin under her fingers broke away more of her resolve. She forced herself to pull back before any more broke away. Michiru had to earn her trust and her love. Haruka wasn't just going to give it away to her as she had in the past. "Do you plan on coming out?"

Michiru laughed softly. "I can barely admit it to myself and to the only person I know who won't judge me. How am I supposed to admit it to the world?"

"Maybe you can work up to it?" Haruka suggested. "Tell some people you're close to first."

"I… I don't really have anybody…" She bit her lip some, the overwhelming feeling of loneliness hitting her yet again. "Maybe I could start with my manager."

"If he'd even listen to you. Don't you already have issues with him?"

She laughed softly. Mostly surprised at how Haruka even remembered that. "I tried to tell him once… a few years ago that I liked girls. He didn't believe me though, he assumed I was just confused. And honestly… at the time, I was confused. I didn't know what I wanted or who I wanted."

"Telling him with more conviction, like you mean it, might prove to him otherwise. Ichirou might believe you."

A comfortable silence fell between them until Michiru dared to reach out, placing her hand on top of Haruka's. "I really did miss you… and Yuki. All of this time was spent figuring things out in my head. I wanted so badly to contact you sooner. But I couldn't. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us if I was still trapped in my mind."

Haruka glanced at her hand, then at the soft, slightly paler hand on top of it. "I do understand… now I understand." And she did. It was the answer to a question she'd had in the back of her mind for years. A question that Michiru finally put to rest. "We just have to see where things go…" Haruka allowed herself to look into Michiru's eyes.

Michiru returned the soft smile that she saw play on Haruka's lips. All while getting lost in a teal sea that were Haruka's eyes. Her words confirmed for her that there was a chance. However small it was… it was still there.

* * *

**_Don't forget that review. I like ideas and thoughts on the things that come from my mind. Stay tuned for more :D  
_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_I've noticed something. If I try to make the chapters longer, than I struggle with it and they take longer to finish. But if I end it where I feel it should end, I can finish the chapters faster._**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 9_**

A week had passed since their dinner. Since their very awkward dinner. They spent most of the evening together, just talking. Before either of them even noticed, it was half past midnight.

Ever since that night, Michiru had felt like she was floating. She'd gotten a hug from Haruka when they bid farewell to one another that evening. It wasn't a brief friendly hug either. No. It was hug full of promises and doors that were yet to be opened. Michiru relished in the smallest of touches that she received that evening from Haruka. A caress on her cheek. The feel of her hand on the blonde's. The hug. Everything that happened last week lifted her spirits.

Not even being forced to a pre-release party for her movie was enough to ruin her spirit. She forced those familiar smiles around her cast and the few people she considered her friends. Nobody noticed the difference in her though. Nobody ever looked close enough to notice she was happier. Nobody cared.

"Michiru, I want to introduce you to my brother." Denji smiled at his co-star. A slightly taller man stood behind him. Michiru could tell he was a few years older than Denji was due to the wrinkles starting to form around his eyes and the few specks of gray hair that dusted his otherwise black. "Taro, this is Michiru." He motioned between his brother and the shorter woman in front of him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Michiru. I've heard a lot about you from Denji here." Taro tossed the younger woman a flirtatious smile.

Being nice is what Michiru had to do. She tossed a smile back at him. It wasn't anywhere near as flirtatious as his was though. It wasn't flirtatious at all. "All good things I hope."

He chuckled, as did her co-star. "I'll leave you two to talk." Denji quickly excused himself.

Michiru watched him go in dismay. She was starting to consider him her lifeline. No she feared she had no way out. No way away from him. "He told me you were very lonely."

That statement right there turned Michiru away from him. But it was proper to humor him. She couldn't be seen throwing her drink in his face… as tempting as it was. Michiru simply threw out the occasional smile, or nod, even though she wasn't listening to a word he was saying. She tuned him out shortly after his statement about her being alone. How could he know how she felt?

"Excuse me for just one moment. I'm need a new drink." She held up her empty wine glass. She quickly turned away from him and made her way toward a table along the wall which had various snacks and drinks on them. As she stood there, she pulled out her phone to type out a quick text message to Haruka.

_Can you call me and save me? Please…_

She never sent the message, but had a feeling she'd have to shortly as Taro stepped up behind her and gently placed a hand on her waist. Her entire body tensed at the action. "Please don't touch me…" Michiru hadn't exactly meant for it to come out in the tone that it had, but she couldn't help it. She truly hated when people touched her, especially men. Sure she could handle it for her career, but in social places, it wasn't going to fly with her.

"Why? What's wrong Michiru?" He took another step closer to her, never noticing the fact that she hit a button on her phone before stepping away from him. "Why don't we go someplace a little more quiet." He smirked down at her.

Michiru suddenly felt sick. She grabbed the closest glass of champagne she could reach and gulped nearly all of it down. Yea, she was used to people coming on to her, but she'd only known this man for half an hour. Even if it was a woman coming on to her, she'd deny them. Michiru just wasn't that type of person. His hand landed on her again, this time on her shoulder. But it was quickly interrupted by the soft ringing of Michiru's cell phone.

Silently she thanked whatever God there was watching over her for the fact that Haruka had gotten her message. "I'm sorry…" She faked a worry expression as she looked at the phone's screen. "I really have to take this." She turned away from him as she answered the phone "Hello?"

_"So why do I have to save you?"_ Haruka's light tone relaxed Michiru some, but she still had to put on her best acting skills.

Haruka was her escape. "What's going on?" Michiru said in such a way that she hoped Haruka would read between the lines.

_"Ah, ok, so just pretend like a family member was in a wreck."_ A light laughter came from Haruka's side of the phone. _"You owe me for this. At least an explanation."_

"I'm on my way now." Michiru looked back at Taro with an even more worried look on her face. "Taro, I have to go…" She put her glass on the table and made a hasty retreat from the hall the party was in. "Thank you so much Haruka…"

_"No problem… what was I saving you from?"_

"A man who couldn't take no for an answer… and a party where I didn't feel welcome." Over the past week, she'd found herself a lot more relaxed with telling Haruka everything she was feeling.

After a brief moment, Haruka spoke again. _"You could come over here if you didn't want to end your night just yet? Yuki's still awake… I think it'll be okay for her to see you again."_

A large smile overtook Michiru's face. She'd wanted to ask Haruka about seeing Yuki again, but wasn't quite sure how the blonde would react. Michiru didn't want to seem as though she was trying to push herself back into her and Yuki's lives. "That sounds great. I'll tell you more about Taro when I get there." She shuttered at the thought of what would have happened had she not had Haruka to save her.

_"Alright. See you soon."_ Before she hung up though, she spoke again. _"Hey Michiru?"_

"Yes?" She tossed her purse onto the passenger seat as she climbed into her car.

_"Be careful okay?"_

"I always am Haruka." A smile was on her face as she started her car and backed out of the parking spot. A night that was originally hell, would end nicely instead.

* * *

**_Moving right onto the next chapter. Don't know what the next chapter will be up because I have training all day tomorrow, plus I'm actually going to meet my clients right after training... so I'll be working for like 10+ hours tomorrow, fun. Can't wait, I'm excited to meet the people I'm going to be working with._****_  
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**_Don't forget that review. Let me know what you think and what you'd like to see happen.  
_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_So, I actually stayed up past the time I needed to go to bed in order to finish this chapter for everybody. I hope you all appreciate it :P  
_**

**_I need to be awake in about 7 hours to get ready for work. More training for me. Going to be going from 9am to 8pm tomorrow, training Tuesday and Wednesday, then nothing Thursday, and going from 10am to 10pm on Friday. Wish me luck. My check will be amazing, but still I'll be like a zombie.  
_**

**_Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. Some more walls come down._**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 10_**

"Yuki, clean up this mess." Haruka yelled the moment she hung up the phone. Spread out on the kitchen table was her daughters completed homework. Yuki had a habit that Haruka always had in school. She'd take up the entire table while doing her homework, but once she finished, it wouldn't get put away for hours afterwards. "Now young lady!" She called out again when she noticed the young girl had not moved from in front of the television.

"Mama, I'll get it before bed like I always do." Yuki whined. Then she huffed as she got up to enter the kitchen. "Why can't I get it later?"

The blonde pulled out a bottle of beer from the fridge and popped the cap. "You can get it now. It's not going to kill you."

"It might." Yuki pouted, quickly cleaning up her papers, folders, and books. "You shouldn't drink so much mama."

Haruka chuckled at her daughter. It wasn't every day that she heard her daughter telling her what to do. "I don't drink that much. Just when I'm nervous."

The girl's brow furrowed some. Her mama was never nervous. To her, Haruka was a brave, strong woman and Yuki wanted to be just like her when she got older. "But you don't get nervous. Why are you nervous?"

"We have someone coming over shortly." The words instantly brought a smile to Yuki's face. In all honesty, it wasn't often that someone came to them since they lived fairly far outside of the city limits. "That's why I need you to clean up honey."

The girl nodded, the smile never leaving her lips. "Who's coming over?" She tucked the last of her school books into her backpack and moved it out by the front door.

Being nervous about Michiru coming over was only part of it. She was mostly nervous over the fact that Yuki was there. She had no idea how her young daughter would react to seeing the woman she hadn't seen in two years. Haruka had never fully explained to Yuki why Michiru never came around after their slight argument. She briefly remembered the conversation she had with her, then, five year old daughter.

_-Two Years Prior-_

_"Is Michiru still going to the park with us mama?" Yuki bounded up to her mother, small bag already thrown over her shoulder._

_"No, she left last night… I don't think she's coming back." Haruka whispered. She was still trying to fight off some of her own tears at the fact that Michiru was out of her life… again. Only this time, she probably wasn't coming back._

_"Why not?"_

_Haruka couldn't even look at her daughter. She could tell just by the tone of her voice that Yuki was close to crying. Looking at Yuki would send herself over the edge, and the last thing she wanted, was Yuki to see her cry over another person that wasn't her mama. "I don't know honey. I wish I did…"_

_A soft sob escaped the child's lips. "Is it something I did?"_

_The blonde let out a dry chuckle before sliding her arm around the young girl and pulling her close. "No sweetheart… I don't know why, but I do know it had nothing to do with you."_

* * *

"Mama?" She frowned at her mother, noticing she was off in her own little world. "Who's coming over?"

Haruka quickly finished her beer before looking at her daughter. She wasn't sure if she should even tell Yuki it was Michiru. What if Michiru changed her mind at the last minute? What if she just never showed up? "Go brush your teeth and start getting ready for bed."

"Who's coming over?" She asked one more time. She knew if Haruka didn't answer her than she wasn't going to answer her.

"Michiru…"

The girl squealed upon hearing the name. Happiness instantly washing over her. She never said another word as she ran down the hallway then disappeared into the bathroom to start her nightly routine.

* * *

"I'll get it mama!" The girl yelled out when the doorbell rang about an hour later. She was able to get to the door long before her mother.

Haruka's eyes rolled as a light laugh escaped her lips. She slowly followed behind her daughter and leaned against the doorframe. Her arms became crossed over her chest as she simply watched. "Well open it already."

"Michiru!" Yuki practically jumped into the woman's arm after she opened the door. "Where have you been? I've missed you so much!" She refused to let go of Michiru as she walked into the house.

Michiru wrapped her arms around the little girl, easily supporting her weight as she entered the house. "I've just had to do some thinking honey."

"That's a lot of time to think though. I never think that much."

Haruka snickered from her spot. Yuki definitely said odd things at odd times. "Hey Michiru."

The star blushed some when she looked up. Her eyes instantly locked with Haruka's. It was the first time they'd been face to face in the last week. But even with that time apart, it didn't break that connection she knows she had during their dinner. "Hello Haruka."

Haruka surprised both herself, and Michiru when she stepped forward and pulled the slightly shorter woman in for a hug. Her walls were breaking down, and it wasn't taking any time at all for them to do so either. She just hoped she'd be able to keep them up long enough to make sure Michiru was real. That all of her feelings, and her wording, were the truth.

* * *

"She's finally asleep, I'm sorry that took so long." Haruka spoke as she sat on the sofa beside Michiru.

"She is just a kid Haruka. She's going to be defiant." Michiru giggled when the blonde glared at her. "I'm just stating a well known fact. And you know it." She poked her finger into the taller woman's bicep.

Haruka's first reaction was to grab the attacking hand. The only initial problem was that she didn't let it go. Deep inside, she felt another large chunk of her emotional wall crumble away. "So what happened at your party? Figured now, with Yuki in bed, you could tell me."

Michiru leaned back on the cushions before crossing her right leg over her left. "His name was Taro. He couldn't get the hint that I wasn't interested in him."

The blonde finally pulled her hand away from Michiru's and leaned back herself. Putting distance between herself and her former lover was the best bet. It helped to curb any impulse she felt to throw herself at the smaller woman. "Who was he? Why was he even at your party?" Taro wasn't a name that she'd ever heard Michiru mention to her over the last week of them talking.

"Denji's brother. He introduced him to me and then ran off to leave me with him." Michiru reached up to pull her hair out of the bun she'd placed it in earlier that night. Now that she was out of the party and in a more comfortable place. What she didn't notice though, were Haruka's eyes locked on her. "Taro was such an ass. He kept trying to get me to go to a more… alone place with him."

Loud laughter filled the room. Haruka knew a lot of things about Michiru, and one thing she knew about her was that she wasn't easy. "He was full of himself wasn't he?"

Hearing Haruka's laughter brought a smile to Michiru's face. For a brief moment, she felt as if everything was like it used to be between them. She felt at home, being able to talk to the blonde like she was. "Apparently Denji told him I was very lonely and he took it upon himself to make it better."

Haruka just shook her head before standing up. "Would you like a drink Michiru?"

"I'd love one actually." She smiled warmly up at the blonde who returned the smile.

The blonde disappeared around the corner and into the kitchen. She took a deep breath once she knew she was out of view. Offering Michiru a drink meant something big. It felt like more than a friendly gesture to her. It was a personal offering. By offering Michiru a drink, she knew the woman would be staying longer now. Something inside told Haruka that it was okay though. That same something told her she could trust her again. She really wanted to believe that and to know she could trust Michiru again.

After filling two glasses of white wine, Haruka returned to the living room and offered one to the star. The filled the room with small talk for several hours. They shared information about what had happened to them over the past two years, and Michiru finally broke down to someone who wasn't her doctor about her depression and anxiety.

Their wine glasses were soon forgotten, and Haruka found herself with her arms wrapped around the smaller woman, comforting her as she cried. Haruka always hated when Michiru cried. Even with their past, she still couldn't stand to see the woman cry. So she did what she did best and offer her shoulder to cry on… literally.

"It's like I told you last time, I just couldn't take it anymore." Michiru spoke after an eternity of being silent. She didn't dare to speak while she was crying.

Haruka pulled away some to cup Michiru's cheek. She completely understood the feeling of being completely and utterly alone. She felt Michiru's pain. Using the pad of her thumb, she wiped away some of the tears from her eyes. "All better." She smiled softly, allowing her thumb to caress the smooth skin of Michiru's cheek.

"Thanks…" Michiru's voice was soft as she stared into the blonde's teal colored eyes. She didn't allow her eyes to move as she felt that familiar magnetic draw that pulled her closer to Haruka.

Haruka, on the other hand, felt the same draw. The only difference was, she stopped it. She forced herself not to kiss Michiru. Even as much as she wanted to, she shook her head. "We can't Michiru…"

Michiru suddenly felt horrible. She couldn't believe she tried to kiss Haruka so soon after reconnecting with her. "Haruka I…" She felt herself tremble, suddenly fearing rejection from the taller woman.

She wanted to snap. She wanted to yell and scream at Michiru for even attempting it. But she couldn't, because it took her a lot to be able to deny the kiss herself. "It's just too soon." Haruka pulled away completely before standing up without another word. She left a very confused looking Michiru on the sofa as she disappeared into the hallway to dig through the closet.

"What are you doing?" She was confused. Haruka had denied her kiss, but wasn't telling her to leave. But on the other hand, Haruka herself had gotten up and left her on the sofa.

The blonde returned a few moments later holding some folded sheets and a light blanket. "There's no way you can drive home tonight Michiru. We finished off that bottle of wine."

Always caring about the well being of others. It was a quality that Michiru always loved about Haruka. "Are you sure? I really don't want to impose and I can assure you, I'm perfectly fine to drive home."

After receiving a very pointed look, Michiru quickly backed down and allowed Haruka to spread out the sheet on the sofa for her. "I'll go find you something of mine to wear for the night, and get you a pillow." And with that, she disappeared again.

Michiru found herself standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the make-shift bed she was to sleep in for the night. Half tempted to pinch herself to see if it was a dream, she decided against it and went with the flow instead. Haruka wanted her to stay the night. Haruka wanted to make sure she was okay. She was brought out of her thoughts when the blonde appeared beside her with a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt.

"They might be a little big for you, but they'll work."

"Thank you." She accepted the clothing before pulling Haruka in for a hug.

Haruka tossed her a friendly smile as they pulled apart. "I'll see you in the morning Michiru. Sleep well."

"You too Haruka."

* * *

**_What would you like to see happen? Still open to ideas. Even though I have a basic storyline built in my head, it doesn't mean it can't be altered with ideas from you guys :D  
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**_Don't forget to hit that review button and tell me what you think.  
_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Look at this. Super fast update :D I actually had this all written last night, but decided to wait a day to post it. Don't know how fast the next chapter will come out, but it WILL come out :D There's a huuuuuuge step in this chapter. But don't worry, some setbacks are coming, nothing can be easy for these two when I'm writing a story about them._**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 11_**

"Care to explain this Michiru?" Ichirou pushed a small stack of tabloids across the desk at his star. "Those handful of pictures are everywhere."

Michiru felt her heart drop into her stomach at the sight of the first tabloid cover.

**Michiru Kaioh Seen Leaving House of Unknown Early This Morning**

The photo was of her getting into her car the morning she'd left Haruka's house. She still had on Haruka's t-shirt and sweat pants since she didn't want to change back into her dress from the night before. At least they didn't know who's house it was… at least the first one didn't.

**Finding Forever Star Finding Her Own Forever?**

She went on to read the article for that one. That headline picture showed her up on the porch, hugging Haruka before she'd left for the day.

_Star of the new movie Finding Forever, Michiru Kaioh, was spotted leaving the home of former F-1 racer turned manager Haruka Tenoh. The two have been known to have a rocky friendship, but now Kaioh is staying the night? Could this be something more?_

_Rumors circulated many years ago questioning the sexuality of one Michiru Kaioh. Could those rumors have been true? Sources have spotted both Kaioh and Tenoh spending a lot of time on their phones lately. Could there be something going on between them?_

_The two did seem awfully close early Sunday morning when Kaioh left the home on the outskirts of town. The only known residents of the home are Haruka Tenoh and her daughter Yuki Tenoh._

_Tenoh is the only openly gay Formula-1 team manager known to the world. She was formally a championship driver herself until she met and married her former wife Kimi Tenoh.._

Michiru couldn't read anything beyond that. Being reminded that Haruka had been married hurt. But she wasn't sure if it hurt more than the fact that Haruka had lost her wife to a drunk driver. "What's there to explain Ichirou? I spent the night at a friend's house."

"Well your friend is openly gay Michiru." He wasn't happy about it.

"Why does it matter? She's a very successful woman." She shoved the tabloids back at her manager before leaning back in her seat. Hearing him talk negatively about someone she cared so deeply about was a breaking point for her. She felt ready to snap at him.

The older man shook his head. "You just don't get it do you Michiru? You, being single, and being seen with someone like her, will cause rumors."

"Who cares if there are rumors? I don't care anymore Ichirou."

He laughed dryly. "We had this discussion a while ago Michiru. Rumors like that would ruin your career and everything you've worked so hard for."

Michiru glanced down at her lap. It was all things she'd heard before and continued to wear on her. Everything she worked for… she'd worked so very hard for everything she'd had right now. Sure, Ichirou helped line up auditions for her, but she was the one who landed the roles to get her feet through the door. The true question was, would it actually ruin her career?

Being openly gay didn't ruin Kimi's career in music. It didn't ruin Haruka's career in a male dominated sport. If anything, it enhanced their careers. Why would it be different in her field of stardom. "It won't ruin me Ichirou. It didn't ruin Haruka or her late wife Kimi."

"They're different." He quickly tried to defend. "They're not you Michiru. Everybody knows you as the Japan's Sweetheart. You're the one that all the guys want to marry. You're the most sought after actress in this country. How will people perceive you thinking that you're a dyke?"

That was the final straw for Michiru. She'd recently been able to admit it to herself, as well as Haruka. Now, she needed to take the next step. "They won't be thinking it Ichirou. They're not rumors, they never were. I am gay. And I always have been."

He rolled his eyes. "Going through this phase again Michiru? We've been through this before, you're just confused and lonely. Denji told me he introduced you to his brother and that you guys really hit it off, why don't you pursue him?"

"I'm not playing this game with you anymore Ichirou. If you can't accept that I'm gay… I'll… I'll…"

"You'll what Michiru? I'm not playing any game with you. I can tell those gay people from not gay people. You're not gay."

"Don't interrupt me!" She finally lost it, adrenaline completely taking over. "If you can't accept that I'm gay Ichirou. I'll find someone who can."

His eyebrows shot up as he stared her straight in the eye. "You wouldn't dare. I helped you build your career from the ground up and you were just a struggling actress who had no idea what she was doing."

"You're fired Ichirou." Michiru grabbed the tabloids off of his desk before picking up her leather bag and jacket. Before she had time to change her mind she marched out of his office. The slam of his door drew the attention of everybody in the office. They'd seen the woman angry at her manager before, but never to the point of slamming his door and marching off with a scowl on her face like she was.

* * *

"I swear to God Genji, if you bring me in another article I'm going to ring your damn neck!" Haruka yelled when she heard a knock on her office door. She never bothered to look away from her computer screen, even when the door opened up and someone entered her office. What finally caused her to look up, was the fact that the person didn't start laughing or asking questions about another picture that was found.

"Haruka?" A timid voice filled the room before the sound of a door closing.

The blonde's eyes shot up from her screen, any anger she'd felt from her assistant that day instantly drained when she saw the pale, scared look on Michiru's face. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" She leaned back in her chair some, motioning for Michiru to come sit on the chair near her. She pulled her glasses off of her face so she could better see the woman approaching her.

"I forgot you wore reading glasses." Michiru smiled before nodding toward the frames sitting on the desk. Haruka chuckled softly before agreeing with the statement. She didn't say anything though, knowing that Michiru needed to talk. "I fired him."

If anything were to get her attention that day, it was what Michiru just said. Ever since her career started, she complained often about Ichirou. Based on everything she'd heard, he was a complete ass. "What happened?"

"Well, based on your reaction to me knocking on the door, you know what happened."

"Sorry about yelling at you… Genji's been finding every article he could about those pictures some jerk took of you at my house yesterday morning. And of course, he's been bringing every single one of them to me today." Haruka's sarcastically thrilled tone of voice drew some laughter out of the smaller woman.

"I tried to tell him again today… I am gay. I actually said those words to him and he laughed in my face. He didn't even give me the chance to tell him I wasn't ready to come out. He only told me that I couldn't be gay. I can't have a manager who can't accept me Haruka. I just can't." Michiru looked down at her hands as they trembled some. Her adrenaline was finally wearing off from her angered outburst at Ichirou.

"That's a huge step Michiru. It really is. Those pictures are going to spark a lot of rumors I'm sure you know. Are you ready to handle those solo?"

"I just have to find a new manager, one who can accept me, and handle the media." Michiru proceeded to unload everything about her meeting that morning with her, now former, manager.

Haruka listened to everything her friend told her. She may have slid her glasses back on to go back to her computer work, but she did not tune out anything the woman said. She just had her own business to handle. "I told you years ago he was an ass Michiru."

Michiru had managed to make her way to the windows of the office to admire the view from Haruka's office. "I should have listened to you."

"You should have listened to me about a lot of things and you know it." She glanced at the back of the woman near the window and smiled softly. Little moments like they were sharing took her back to the high school days when they shared everything with one another.

"Yea, I know."

"Haruka!" Genji burst through the office door with another paper in his hand. "Why didn't you tell me you were dating Michiru!" He practically yelled at his boss, not once noticing the aqua haired star standing near the floor to ceiling windows.

The blonde glared up at him. "You're an idiot. If those things told you they discovered an alien planet about to crash into Earth, you'd be building a bomb shelter." She snatched the paper away from him to look at it. "Michiru, this one's a good picture." She turned to her right to hand the other woman the paper with the picture.

The younger man's eyes nearly popped out of his head when they spotted the other figure in the room coming closer to his blonde boss. "Mi…Mi…Miss Kaioh… oh my god it's such an honor." He quickly went to bow to the star only to receive a giggle in response.

Michiru just nodded her greeting to him before pulling the paper from Haruka's hand to look at the headline.

**Kaioh/Tenoh. Juicy Details Inside**

"What kind of juicy details are there? I slept on your sofa." Michiru made herself comfortable on the chair beside Haruka.

"So it is true!"

Haruka felt her eye twitch from just his statement. "All you heard was 'juicy details,' 'slept,' and 'your.' You didn't bother listening to anything else from her sentence did you Genji?" The dreamy look on his face told her that she was right. "Take this trash and get out of my office." She tossed the paper at him as he scampered out of the room.

"That was mean Haruka." Michiru couldn't hold in her laughter any longer.

"He deserves it." She pulled her glasses off of her face once more and started rubbing her eyes, earning a concerned look from Michiru. "He runs on a single thought process. He gets a thought in his head, and nobody else can get rid of said thought." That only sparked more laughter from the other woman in the room. "What? He's good at his job, whenever he's not driving me up a wall." Haruka glanced at the time before standing up to reach for her jacket. "Are you doing anything for lunch?"

Michiru froze. First the pictures outside of Haruka's house, now the possibility of being seen in public with Haruka, it was both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. "My calendar is clear today…"

"I'm meeting Ami for lunch, she's been asking about you, would you like to join us? My treat." She smiled softly at Michiru before offering her hand to the still seated woman.

Being seen in public with Haruka was a huge step for her. But it was a step in the right direction. She needed to be out and about with the other woman. Steps like that were vital in her goal to eventually come out of the closet. Smiling, she accepted Haruka's hand and allowed herself to be pulled out of the chair. "Lunch sounds wonderful. And I'd love to see Ami again."

"Let's go then my dear." Haruka pulled the door to her office open, allowing Michiru to walk through first.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Been watching Sailor Moon a lot lately, and I can feel my inspiration returning :D This is a good thing for everybody that I'm continuing to write even though I'm so tired. But if I don't write I'll never sleep because it will always be on my mind. Anyway, please enjoy :D_**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 12_**

She could feel them. Everywhere. They were all around them. Over the years, it had become a sixth sense to her. The paparazzi. They followed her every move. Whether it be at the studio, or even doing some grocery shopping. They were there.

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked her friend. She'd noticed the way Michiru had been looking around for the past few minutes as they'd been walking. The café she was meeting Ami at for lunch was only five blocks away. It was much faster to walk, but seeing Michiru's sudden paranoia, she was beginning to second guess herself on that decision.

The star looked up at the other woman. "They're following us." Her voice was low enough to where only the blonde heard her.

Haruka stopped walking to give her full attention to Michiru. "Who's following us?" She quickly began looking around, trying to see whomever it was that Michiru saw.

"The paparazzi. They're always following me. Let's just keep walking Haruka. The sooner we get there, the better." She walked past Haruka to make sure her words were taken seriously. There was one thing she'd learned over the years. They never followed her into any buildings she entered. No. They'd just wait until she was exiting to ambush her… she'd warn Haruka and Ami of that after lunch.

When they turned the corner, Ami was right there waiting. She glanced at her watch before smiling at her friend. "You're late Haruka."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the comment before pulling the short, blue-haired woman in for a hug. "I had a bit of a distraction." She tilted her head back toward Michiru.

Ami's face lit up at the sight of her once dear friend. "Michiru… it's been years."

"Hi Ami." A genuine smile overtook Michiru's face. One of the few real smiles she's shared with anyone other than Haruka for ages.

The two former friends shared an embrace before Haruka interrupted them. "Come on ladies, my stomach is hungry." She pulled the door open to the café. Once her two comrades had entered the building, the blonde smiled smugly at a man that was near them and waved toward his camera.

If the paparazzi were going to follow her now, she might as well have fun with it. It had been years since she dealt with them herself. After she retired from racing, they all seemed to lose interest in her for the most part. There were still the ones that followed Kimi around, but not as many. And when Kimi passed, there were a few that followed Haruka shortly after her death. But then they all vanished completely. Haruka was thankful that she'd be able to give Yuki a sense of normalcy in her life. At least for a little bit. With her new connection with Michiru, that normalcy would soon fade away.

* * *

"They're going to be waiting for us." Michiru stood from her seat after losing a small fight with Haruka on who was going to pay for her lunch.

"Who?" Ami grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and started to put it on.

Haruka only chuckled. She was honestly waiting for Michiru to bring up the paparazzi that she'd pointed out to her before they entered the café. "The men with cameras who stalk her."

The star blushed some. It was true though, it was like they stalked her. They were always there and there was no doubt they'd have a field day with any and all pictures they'd gather of her with Haruka. "They never follow me inside anywhere. They just wait for me outside." She found herself subconsciously leaning closer to Haruka when she saw the mass of people outside.

Haruka sensed her friend's discomfort and pulled her close to talk to her. "I'm not going to do anything that's going to put more pressure on you. Especially since you just fired your manager and you're facing everything alone." Michiru met her eyes and smiled softly. Being in Haruka's presence always relaxed her. "But I swear, if they get too close to you all bets are off. You're my friend and I want to protect you."

Friend… She only saw her as a friend. Swallowing the lump in her throat she simply nodded. How could she expect anything more from Haruka? Especially so soon after reconnecting. It didn't make the statement hurt any less though. That word made her feel like someone was sitting on her chest. An unexplained feeling in her heart that Michiru knew she didn't like. But, what could she do about it? Just be patient.

"Ready?" Haruka bravely offered her hand. Making no attempt to force Michiru to take it, just simply offering the comfort. She knew that pictures of them holding hands would easily be misconstrued into them being a couple. Which they weren't. But as Michiru nodded wordlessly, Haruka began to wonder if they ever could be.

_"Are the rumors true?"_

_"Is Haruka your girlfriend?"_

_"Did you fire your manager?"_

_"What did you eat?"_

_"Who's with you?"_

Michiru was able to pick out each and every question that was thrown their way. She quickly grabbed Haruka's hand for comfort and support. She knew what would come from it, but feeling what she was feeling at the moment, she didn't care. She didn't care about the rumors. There would eventually be a press conference held to announce that she was gay. But no time soon. She'd simply allow the rumors to fester and grow. People always believed what they wanted to believe anyway.

_"Are you gay Michiru?"_

That one caught her attention. She looked right at the young man who had asked it and politely declined her comment on it. All while her grip on the taller woman's hand tightened as the three of them pushed their way through the crowd of people. Most of which were starting to refuse to move out of their way. "Can we just get back to your office Haruka." Her voice was so timid and frightened at the same time.

Haruka could sense your friends discomfort. She simply nodded and raised her hand to cover some lenses that were close to them. She was starting to feel claustrophobic as it was anyway with so many people around them. "Come on Ami." She used kept her grip on Michiru's hand, pushed away another camera, then reached back to grab Ami's as well.

One tug on Haruka's left arm sent the blonde flying over the edge. She wasn't exactly sure what it was inside of her that caused it, but Michiru was the one on her left side. Michiru tugged on her arm because she couldn't move. She, herself, had been grabbed by a reporter. "Get off of her!" The blonde nearly screamed at the man holding onto his friend. "Let go of her you pig!" Before she realized what was happening, she shoved the man. Pure adrenaline running through her veins. Her eyes widened when the man fell to the ground. All around them, all that could be heard was the very familiar sound of flashing cameras.

"Let's just go Haruka, please." Michiru pleaded. She even started to lead the way out of the crowd of people which had started to make room for them once the blonde had snapped.

There was no doubt in Haruka's mind that her action was going to blow up in her and Michiru's faces. She instantly regretted shoving the man. "Michiru… I'm sorry."

Ami stayed close to the pair as they finally entered Haruka's office building. "I'm sorry, but what was that back there? He could press charges against you Haruka."

The blonde didn't need to hear her friend's comments. She knew what she'd done and had no explanation as to why. She had just felt an overwhelming need to protect Michiru from those people. Something she knew she wouldn't have felt toward Ami, or Makoto and they were both her best friends. She felt something more toward Michiru, and it scared her. Most of the feeling reminded her of how she protected the aqua haired woman when they were in high school.

"They won't." Michiru answered Ami's question once they were all safely in Haruka's office. "They won't press charges, they'll just blow it up in the media." She plopped down on the leather chair beside Haruka's desk. "It's not the first time they've grabbed me…"

The whole time Michiru and Ami had their conversation about the last time Michiru was grabbed, Haruka tuned them out. She became lost in her own little world. She couldn't figure out what it was that made her defend Michiru the way she had. She knew that it had to do with her old feelings for the woman, but she wasn't sure as to why they were returning so quickly. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, she couldn't keep her feelings for Michiru at bay. They were returning, and there was no way she could stop it.

Haruka was falling in love with Michiru all over again, and it scared her. She made eye contact with the other woman and smiled softly. The smile was returned. It was a silent communication between the two. A communication that had once been perfected when words were hard to speak. They'd have to face this new found connection soon. But right now, they simply enjoyed being in one another's presence.


	13. Chapter 13

**_I keep skipping some time, but I'm trying not to drag it out too much. I basically have a loose outline set up through chapter 16. Beyond that I might need some help! Ideas still welcome ;) Hell, they're encouraged too.  
_**

**_Anyway, enjoy._**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 13_**

A week. An entire week had passed since the incident outside of the café. Michiru, for the most part, had remained safely inside of her home. Staying out of the public eye though, did nothing for the constant articles about her and her favorite blonde.

_Tenoh Attacks Photographer: Still No Apology_

_Tenoh/Kaioh Relationship Details Inside_

Those were two of the most common headlines thus far. She smiled as she remembered some of the pictures that had appeared next to the headlines. Her favorite was taken while they were still enjoying their lunch in the café. Haruka had told both her and Ami about how her assistant had reacted to Michiru's television interview. Michiru had placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder as she laughed, Haruka, in turn, placed her hand on top of Michiru's.

Honestly, it was the simple contacts that the star missed the most. The feeling of Haruka's skin against hers was like heaven. She hadn't even realized how much she'd truly missed it until she felt it again. Now, as she sat at her desk in her office, contacting various managers to set up meetings, she wished she had that. She wished for that comforting hand on her shoulder, helping her through her trying time.

The vibrating of her phone across her desk drew her attention away from her day planner. A smile graced her lips when she saw Haruka's name appear on the touch screen.

"Hello." She tucked the phone safely between her ear and shoulder before turning back to her planner. Over the past several months of being busy filming her newest movie, Michiru definitely wasn't used to her planner being so empty.

_"Well hello there. Was starting to think you crawled in a hole."_ Haruka's voice rang through the phone.

The tone of voice caused Michiru to laugh softly. It was the first time she'd heard the blonde's voice since that day at the office. "I can assure you I haven't. Trust me. I've just been very busy trying to find a new manager as well as trying to avoid the media as much as possible."

_"Speaking of the media… how are you doing?"_

She could tell by Haruka's voice that they had been affecting her as well. "I'm okay, honestly I am. I just wish I had a new manager who I could trust with trying to knock this thing out."

Haruka chuckled lowly in response. _"And speaking of managers…"_ A faint rustling of paper could be heard by Michiru in the background. _"I have one you should call."_

Michiru felt her heart swell some. Her love had taken the time to search for a manager for her. She could always trust Haruka's judgment on anything. "How do you know any show business managers?" She joked.

_"Asami Koga." _Haruka started out slowly. _"She handles any profession that's in the public eye. Asami was my manager when I was racing…" _Michiru could hear the woman on the other end take a deep breath before she continued. _"…she was also Kimi's manager."_

"Haruka… are you sure?" Michiru knew that Kimi was still a tender spot for Haruka.

_"Yes. In my opinion, she's the best out there. Probably still is. Asami won't judge you for being gay and not ready to come out yet. She'll support you in any decision you choose to make and help you through everything. She did with Kimi when she was finally ready to come out to the world."_

Michiru could hear Haruka's voice crack some. Tears welled up in her own eyes. Kimi was always going to be a part of Haruka's life and honestly, Michiru was perfectly fine with that. "Thank you Haruka, this just saved me so much time and frustration." She wrote down the number the blonde gave her.

_"It took me a lot to be able to dig out her information. I had to figure out if I was ready to face a piece from my past again. Being back in your life means I'll see Asami again." _She paused for a second, _"I'm ready for all of that."_

"It means so much to me Haruka. Oh, before I go to call her… are you free on Saturday for dinner?"

_"My, my. Is Michiru Kaioh asking me on a date?"_ Haruka laughed.

The comment drew a deep blush from Michiru. But instead of fighting back, she decided to play along. "What if I was? Is that such a bad thing?"

Haruka laughed again. _"No. It's certainly not a bad thing. What time are you thinking?"_

"Would you be available about seven to come over?"

There was a rather long pause before the blonde answered. _"I just have to make sure Ami and Makoto can take Yuki for the night. It shouldn't be a problem."_

"Alright, just let me know if you can't for whatever reason." Michiru smiled. She was setting up what seemed to be a date with Haruka. She just had to ensure that everything was perfect. Michiru didn't want it to be just a dinner between two friends. No, it had to be more.

Their phone conversation came to a quick end and Michiru just started at the phone for a moment. She had a date Saturday. It also meant she had to cook dinner for them both, a feat which was hardly ever done. With a smile on her face, Michiru pulled a pen out of the caddy and wrote in her day planner, effectively claiming Saturday as all hers.

_Date with Haruka_

She just had to make it magical.

* * *

"I was hoping to speak with Asami Koga. A former client of hers has referred me."

_"I apologize ma'am, but Mrs. Koga is unable to take direct calls. But, I can take your information for her to call you back."_ A young woman's voice rang through the phone. She was very professional despite the fact that she sounded no older than 19 or 20.

"Michiru Kaioh. Can you please let her know that Haruka Tenoh recommended her to me." She gave the young receptionist all of her information before ending the call. She did hope to hear back soon.

Michiru kept her phone in her hand as she exited her office, making her way toward the kitchen to figure out what she'd make herself for dinner. Just as she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, her phone began to ring. It definitely didn't take long for her message to get passed on.

"Hello?" She answered on the third ring.

_"Is this Miss Kaioh?"_

"Yes it is." She sat down on a barstool with her water.

_"Hello. My name is Asami Koga. I believe you just called my office?"_ Michiru acknowledge before Asami continued. _"Haruka also called me earlier today, to see if I'd be interested. She told me a little about your situation. Mainly that you'd fired your manager over his lack of compassion for you."_

Michiru's heart swelled again. Haruka had not only recommended a manager to her, but had also called her already. "Yes, that basically sums it up. I can explain further, but I'd prefer to do that face to face." She was already planning on making huge steps forward. Her first meeting with any prospective manager she'd tell them. It was a goal she'd set for herself, to openly tell her manager she's gay.

_"I completely understand. Would you be available tomorrow morning at 10 AM to meet at my office?"_

Michiru reached for a piece of paper to take down an address that she was sure Asami would give to her. "Yes I am. I just finished filming a movie and it's in post production and editing right now. So my schedule is basically free with exception of a few pre-release interviews." She wrote down the address when Asami gave it to her. A few short words were exchanged before their conversation ended.

She looked at her phone before tapping on it to send a message.

_Thank you for calling Asami earlier. I'm meeting with her tomorrow morning._

There was no immediate reply but Michiru didn't worry about it since Haruka was at work. She'd get a response later on that day.

With a new sense of happiness Michiru made her way into her bedroom to start doing some chores which she 'd usually put off until the last minute. Her day and mood were set, all thanks to Haruka. It was little actions like that, that helped her to fall even more in love with the blonde.

* * *

**_Don't forget that review button :) _**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Don't have much to say for this chapter. Just enjoy :) It's date night for Haruka and Michiru!_**

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 14_**

Saturday came sooner than she'd expected. Michiru felt herself rushing around her house like a chicken without a head. Everything had to be perfect. She checked on the chicken in the oven one more time before hurrying off to her bedroom to change.

Throwing open the doors to her closet, she sighed. Sure, her closet was stocked with clothing for every occasion. But, that also meant there wasn't a thing to wear. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was already a little bit after six. Time was quickly running out for her.

"No, no, no…" She sifted through pants, then jeans, before finally deciding on a long black skirt. It had always been one of her favorites. There was nothing special about it. Just a cotton material with a lacy black overlay to it. It didn't take long to find a matching shirt. A solid blue silk blouse with three-quarter length sleeves. After dressing herself and sliding on a pair of black flats, she examined herself in the mirror. "Perfect." She whispered before hurrying to her vanity to finish her hair and make-up.

* * *

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so nervous. It wasn't the first time she'd had dinner with Michiru. But as she pulled up to the main gate of Michiru's community, everything felt different. It wasn't just another dinner with a friend. They'd started to move past the friends phase, and it scared her.

"ID please ma'am." The man at the guard house approached her car once she stopped.

She pulled her wallet out of her back pocket, then pulled out her driver's license. "I'm here visiting Michiru Kaioh."

He shone his flashlight onto the driver's license before shining it into the car to look at the driver. "She phoned me earlier to make sure you were let in. Been a lot of media trying to get in lately."

Haruka chuckled at the man as she slid her license back into her wallet. "I can only imagine."

The man would have continued his conversation but there was another car that pulled up behind Haruka's. "Have a nice evening Miss Tenoh."

"Thank you." She rolled up her window as she pulled through the opening gate. Her hands shook as she drove through the community. Brief thoughts passed through her mind, wondering what kind of neighbors Michiru might have.

The thought didn't last long as the star's house came into her view. When she pulled next to Michiru's car in the driveway, she let out the breath she'd been holding. Turning on her interior light, she checked her tie and hair. She was quite proud of the clothing Yuki helped her pick out. A pale yellow shirt with a navy blue tie and black slacks. Once she was satisfied with her hair, she climbed out of her vehicle and approached the front door.

She pressed in the door bell before stepping back to wait. A few moments passed before the front door swung open. Haruka's breath caught in her throat when her eyes landed on Michiru. "You look stunning." Haruka stepped forward to hug the shorter woman.

"And you look quite handsome yourself Haruka." Michiru's fingers toyed with the tie around the blonde's neck as they parted. "Come on in, I just finished dinner." She slid her hand into Haruka's and led her into the house.

"You should grace me with a tour." Haruka shifted her grasp in Michiru's, to lock their fingers together. True, she wasn't exactly sure what drove her into those actions, but it just felt so right. Therefore, she chose not to question in.

"After dinner I promise. I'm afraid the food would get too cold." She led the blonde into the dining room where the lights were dimmed and two candles sat in the middle of the table.

Dinner was spent making small talk. Michiru had thanked the blonde again for recommending Asami to her. They talked about the past and even some fears they both had. It was perfect. They both felt it.

"How about that tour now?" Michiru spoke as she picked up both of their dinner plates.

Haruka smiled as she stood up to follow the star out of the dining room and toward the kitchen. Not a word was spoken, just a small smile graced her lips as Michiru hummed to herself. A brief moment of a possible future with her flashed before her eyes. It was easy to envision herself walking in on Michiru doing something, lost in her own world. All while she remained at the doorway, much like she was now, just watching in silence.

"What are you thinking about?" Michiru spoke, stepping up to the blonde who was obviously lost in her own thoughts.

"Nothing in particular." At least nothing she was ready to share just yet.

The shorter woman accepted the answer with a small nod before leading Haruka from one room to the next. She slowed some as she came to her bedroom on the second floor. "That's my bedroom." She pointed toward a closed door, then quickly tried to move on.

"What? Can't I see?" Haruka's hand clasped the doorknob and turned it before Michiru could stop her.

"Haruka, no!" She tried to stop the blonde, but it was already too late. Her cheeks instantly flushed when the pile of clothing on the floor, in front of her closet, came into view. "I couldn't figure out what to wear." It was a quick defense.

The blonde chuckled at Michiru's discomfort, stepping further into the room. "Was it really that hard? Anything you wore would have been perfect." She dared to glance over her shoulder. It was perfect timing to see Michiru blush more. "Like this t-shirt." Haruka pulled one from the pile, but before she could get a good look at it, it was snatched away. "Was that what I think it was?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Michiru laughed, hiding the shirt behind her back as Haruka stalked closer. "Haruka Tenoh, you stop right there."

Her demand fell on deaf ears. "Could that have been a Spongebob t-shirt?" Haruka cornered the smaller woman near the door, unable to stop her own laughter. Spongebob was something that her daughter loved and the fact that Michiru had a shirt entertained her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her laughter continued but was soon replaced by a heavy beating in her chest. Haruka's body was against her own, affectively pinning her to the wall.

Haruka quickly lost interest in the shirt when her mind caught up to the current situation. She found her hands resting on the shorter woman's hips and their eyes locked with one another. Nothing was going to stop her this time. The remained of her wall had finally crumbled away after the incident at the café. She was completely open and vulnerable to Michiru again. She just hoped she didn't come to regret it in the end.

"Ruka…?" Michiru dropped the shirt to the floor and allowed her arms to slide around the taller woman's neck. She knew what was about to happen, but made no attempt to speed it up. Everything was on Haruka's terms.

The shortened name brought a smile to Haruka's lips. "You haven't called me that since high school." She whispered before finally closing the gap between their lips.

Both of their arms instinctively tightened around the other. Haruka pulled their bodies closer, while Michiru brought their lips together harder. Their kiss felt like they had never missed a day. Memories of their last kiss flooded into both of their minds. This was better though. There was no hesitation. No feelings of uncertainty. Just a kiss that was full of hopes and promises yet to be made.

When oxygen started to become an issue, Haruka pulled away. Their lips remained close though, sharing the same breath as they enjoyed each other's close proximity. Neither spoke as their eyes opened long enough to get a quick glance at the love in the other's eyes before leaning in for another, more passionate kiss.

Haruka's head tilted to the side as her mouth was the first to slowly open. She allowed her tongue to graze the lower lip of the other woman. She felt herself let out a soft moan when her advances were accepted and she found her own tongue pressed against Michiru's. It was an intricate dance that they both knew every step up.

After what felt like an eternity, Michiru pulled away and took several deep, calming breaths. Her eyes opened and she stared deeply into Haruka's. Again, they shared a silent conversation. The want and need to know what everything meant and where they stood was overpowering to both of them. But neither spoke a word. Both were content in the silence. They melted into yet another kiss, getting lost in the sensations of one another.

Both of them finally felt happy.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Well, it seems I've been a little delayed. Working two jobs is draining me. All I'm wanting to do when I get home is watch videos on my phone, or read other stories. That's why this has taken me so long to get done.**_

_**Anyway. Expect this story to have like 2-3 more chapters. I'm close to wrapping it up and I'm ready to move on to the next story.  
**_

* * *

**_What Happened To Us?  
Chapter 15_**

"I still can't believe I let Makoto, of all people, take Yuki costume shopping." Haruka chuckled. She could only imagine the type of costume her best friend would talk her daughter into getting.

Michiru laughed softly along with Haruka. She allowed her fingers to drag up the blonde's arm while she cooked lunch for the two of them. It had been a few days since the dinner at Michiru's house. They'd yet to talk about that night and what it all meant to their still blooming relationship.

"Didn't Yuki want Makoto to take her?" Haruka nodded. "I remember something about mama picking out boring costumes." The starlet teased.

"I do not pick out boring costumes. Last year, she was a frog."

Michiru quickly covered her mouth to hold in her laughter. "That is kind of boring."

The blonde wasn't very thrilled about Michiru's words. "I am not boring." She knew that Michiru was joking with her. It warmed her heart some, knowing that Michiru was already back to joking around with her. Yet at the same time, she felt irritated.

"I never said you were boring, just your choice of outfit." She reached up to place her hand against the blonde's cheek. A small smile graced her lips moments before capturing those of the taller woman's with her own.

It was like the many they'd already shared. Full of emotion. Full of love. Full of many unspoken promises. Haruka blindly reached out to turn the stove off before wrapping her arms around Michiru's waist. "We need to talk about this." She whispered against Michiru's lips before kissing her again.

They did. They needed to figure out where they stood on everything. Were they dating? Were they girlfriends? Everything would eventually come to the surface and be figured out.

"We will… I'm all yours tonight. You invited me to stay. I'm assuming that offer still stands." She brushed some stray blonde hair behind the taller woman's ear.

"Of course it does. You're always welcome here." The statement came out so effortlessly. Just two months ago, Haruka wouldn't have dreamt of ever opening herself up to Michiru again like that.

Michiru found herself pressed against the counter. The edge of it dug into her lower back but she didn't care. All she could focus on was the massaging lips on her own. She would have been perfectly content sharing kisses with the blonde all day long.

"Mama, look at my cos-" The girl stopped talking once she entered the kitchen. A smile came to her face when she spotted Michiru. "Hi Michiru… Were you two kissing?"

They pulled away from one another quickly, a blush covering both of their faces. "Why don't you show me your costume honey?" Haruka tried to change the topic. She walked closer to her daughter while Michiru turned the stove back on to continue cooking lunch.

"I promise it's nothing bad Haruka." Makoto entered the kitchen moments after Yuki did. Her eyes raked over Michiru before she sat at the table. The star hadn't been there when she picked up Yuki earlier. She did know Haruka was talking to their once dear friend again, but she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about the entire thing. "Hello Michiru."

Haruka threw her friend a warning look when she heard the tone of her voice. "Hello Makoto." Michiru smiled softly at the brunette. She wanted to say more, but she also knew how Makoto felt about her since she vanished two years ago. Instead of starting any kind of fight, she simply turned back to the stove.

"You seriously got a Sailor V outfit?" Haruka held up the very realistic replica to get a good look at it. "You're wearing leggings with this skirt. It's way too short for you."

"But mama, it won't look right!" The girl tried to protest, but after a very pointed look from her mother, she relented. After a few moments of silence, and Haruka starting to get everybody a drink, Yuki decided to talk again. "So why were you two kissing? Is Michiru gonna be my new mommy? You haven't kissed anybody like that since mommy."

All three adults in the room froze. Haruka nearly spit out her soda. Makoto's eyes darted between the young girl and the aqua haired starlet. Michiru was the only one who suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. It was something the woman had dreamt of, but never expected it to be brought up. Especially so soon. Her first instinct? To run and never look back. It scared Michiru that she still felt the overwhelming need to flee.

Haruka sensed Michiru's discomfort from Yuki's question. She chose, instead of answering everything in the kitchen, to pull her daughter into the living room. "Michiru and I haven't even talked about anything yet Yuki." She sat on the sofa that way she was eye level with her daughter.

"But don't people kiss when they love each other?"

Haruka felt blood rush to her face. Yuki definitely was blunt about the things she said. "Sometimes, yes. But sometimes they need time to figure things out."

"Do you love Michiru?"

Honesty… Haruka told herself. Being honest with Yuki is something she'd always promised herself and the girl. "I did… a long time ago."

The girl wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "You should love her, I love her."

Haruka chuckled at her daughter. "I wish it was that easy honey, but I'll definitely keep that in mind."

* * *

Michiru had been tense the entire evening – Yuki's words playing over and over in her mind. She had only recently accepted herself, but could she see herself as Yuki's new mother? The idea both frightened and excited her all at once.

"I'm sorry for what Yuki said earlier." Haruka finally brought it up once they were in her bedroom for the evening.

Michiru relaxed on the blonde's bed, simply watching her as she shut off the overhead light in favor of a bedside lamp. "She's just a child, she probably doesn't fully understand what she was asking."

Haruka kicked off her slippers before sliding under the blankets on her bed. A smile crept to her face when Michiru instantly curled into her side. There were moments when everything still felt like a dream to her. She took a moment to savor the contact before she spoke again. "I saw your reaction Michi. I saw the fearful stance you took."

"I'm still so scared…" She whispered.

"If anyone should be scared, it should be me. Considering out past and everything…" Haruka's arms instinctively tightened around the smaller woman's frame when she felt her tense up. "I didn't mean it like that Michi." And she didn't, she was past the point where she was spiteful toward Michiru. She no longer felt hatred for the past… there was just a small amount of uneasiness left. There was always that chance that Michiru would run again. Yet, there was also a chance that she'd stay. That they'd slowly but surely make up for their lost time… that was the chance that Haruka latched on to.

"Where do we stand Haruka?" Michiru spoke after a moment of silence. She even pushed herself up onto her elbows so she could look directly into the blonde's eyes.

"Where do you want us to stand?" Haruka shot back, drawing a small bit of laughter out of Michiru. "I… I want to be able to call you my girlfriend again."

A warm, comforting sensation washed through Michiru's body. "I would love to be your girlfriend. But… you have to be patient with me. I'm not ready to go public about anything. I just… I can't handle that yet. I know rumors are already flying around about us, but I'm not ready to confirm them yet. So… I just don't comment on them. To the media, that's the same as confirming them."

Haruka gently grabbed the back of the star's head and pulled her down for a kiss. "You ramble a lot when you're nervous." She captured Michiru's lips yet again for a long, gentle kiss.

"I can't help it. I just… I don't want to lose you because I'm so scared." Michiru felt her lip start to tremble some. She couldn't let her emotions show. She hated the feeling of being weak.

The blonde reached out to turn off her lamp. She quietly turned onto her side so she was facing the smaller woman. She smiled some as her fingers started to run through long aqua hair. Not a word was spoken, but nothing was needed. When they were younger, most of their time was actually spent curled up together in silence. They simply enjoyed the company of the other.

There was still so much to talk about, but neither were in a rush. Everything would come out over time.

Michiru looked deep into Haruka's eyes before pressing her lips to the blonde's. There were three words stuck on the tip of her tongue. She wanted so desperately to say them to Haruka. But it was too soon. It didn't matter that she never stopped loving her, but saying it was likely to drive Haruka away. That was the last thing she wanted. The last thing she needed. So, instead of ruining everything, she just remained quiet and savored the warmth and comfort that only Haruka could offer to her.

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_**Hit that review button for me ;) Let me know what you think so far.  
**_


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